>A global pandemic didn’t help. But depression and anxiety rates were rising among young people pre-COVID. The proportion of Canadians 15 and older who met the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder has risen in the past decade, especially among females. Among women aged 15 to 24, the 12-month prevalence for generalized anxiety disorder tripled, from 3.8 per cent in 2012, to 11.9 per cent in 2022, according to Statistics Canada. Major depressive episodes doubled, from nine per cent to 18.4 per cent. In 2022, four times as many young women met criteria for social phobia compared to 2012.
>As rates climbed, so, too, did scripts for antidepressants, especially among women: In 2023, women aged 18 to 24 were prescribed antidepressants at more than twice the rate (21.8 per cent versus 7.9 per cent) of men in the same age group, according to data analytics firm IQVIA Canada.
>Why the gender difference? “It’s a complex, bio-psychosocial question,” Jericho said.
>While there are some subtle differences between boys and girls during childhood, mood and anxiety problems largely affect the sexes equally, she said. Once puberty hits and adolescence begins to play out, “we’ve always seen an increase in rates of these conditions in girls, relative to boys,” Jericho said.
Automatic_Mistake236 on
Hmmm.. we can’t afford homes.. we can’t afford our groceries… we can’t afford our rent… some of us want children but guess what?! We can’t afford them and we have limited time left…. The country is divided between the left and the right…. Everyone is on Ozempic and now thin is back “in”… Robots are going to take our jobs.. the future is bleak.
What else could it be?
Capitalism and social media have destroyed our society.
OmiSC on
Oh god, this is dumb. “Everybody should want to feel the way I do when on this drug” is a terrible platform for trying to solve other peoples’ emotional struggles.
ViolinistLeast1925 on
Very, very bleak.
Not to mention ‘chemical imbalance’ is a total lie.
Aggressive-Map-2204 on
When things went to the shitter older generations just drank. Younger generations go to therapists and pop pills.
Combine this with social media which only exacerbates issues and the bleak future young people have its a recipe for depression and disaster.
Jealous_Worker_931 on
Tiktok is messed up. My ex got addicted during covid (5-6 hrs a day, neglecting kids) and started calling me a covert narcists. Started labeling everyone as having ADHD, Bi Polar or Autistic. That damn app is wrapped around so many peoples minds and I don’t understand how.
btw, after therapists and lawyers, it turns out I’m not a covert narcist and she doesn’t have ADHD.
Tricky_Reason892 on
Marketing your physical attraction to push antidepressant medication, weird.
AdNew9111 on
Medication like this ain’t the answer. Get off social media first then will talk
NoEnd373 on
SSRIs never worked for me unfortunately but I’m happy for these people if they’ve found a solution. Depression is a bitchhh.
Vyvyan_180 on
I’m sure this has nothing to do with this generation of therapists abandoning diagnoses of personality disorders in women thanks to the shift towards therapy based on “trauma-informed principles” and vapid displays of “empathy” in place of confrontation leading to insight-driven behavioural changes.
Combine that with the social currency which diagnoses carry for certain identity groups on and off social media — *not unlike the recent trends surrounding Tourette’s and Ehlers-Danlos* — and the circumstances which created such a scenario make sense; unless one would rather accept the reductive materialistic critique which conveniently neglects to acknowledge the prevalence of mental and personality disorders amongst those with a comfortable level of material wealth.
omfgwat on
Basically the middle man has been cut out and your local drug dealer is now your psychiatrist. I’ve never done street drugs in my life, but I’ve done my fair share of psych meds to try and fit my odd puzzle piece self into the portrait of society.
Medication like antidepressants shouldn’t be taken lightly like this. It’s completely insulting to the people who need this kind of medication in order to not end themselves…the side effects, if tolerable enough, are worth it in my experience.
11 Comments
>A global pandemic didn’t help. But depression and anxiety rates were rising among young people pre-COVID. The proportion of Canadians 15 and older who met the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder has risen in the past decade, especially among females. Among women aged 15 to 24, the 12-month prevalence for generalized anxiety disorder tripled, from 3.8 per cent in 2012, to 11.9 per cent in 2022, according to Statistics Canada. Major depressive episodes doubled, from nine per cent to 18.4 per cent. In 2022, four times as many young women met criteria for social phobia compared to 2012.
>As rates climbed, so, too, did scripts for antidepressants, especially among women: In 2023, women aged 18 to 24 were prescribed antidepressants at more than twice the rate (21.8 per cent versus 7.9 per cent) of men in the same age group, according to data analytics firm IQVIA Canada.
>Why the gender difference? “It’s a complex, bio-psychosocial question,” Jericho said.
>While there are some subtle differences between boys and girls during childhood, mood and anxiety problems largely affect the sexes equally, she said. Once puberty hits and adolescence begins to play out, “we’ve always seen an increase in rates of these conditions in girls, relative to boys,” Jericho said.
Hmmm.. we can’t afford homes.. we can’t afford our groceries… we can’t afford our rent… some of us want children but guess what?! We can’t afford them and we have limited time left…. The country is divided between the left and the right…. Everyone is on Ozempic and now thin is back “in”… Robots are going to take our jobs.. the future is bleak.
What else could it be?
Capitalism and social media have destroyed our society.
Oh god, this is dumb. “Everybody should want to feel the way I do when on this drug” is a terrible platform for trying to solve other peoples’ emotional struggles.
Very, very bleak.
Not to mention ‘chemical imbalance’ is a total lie.
When things went to the shitter older generations just drank. Younger generations go to therapists and pop pills.
Combine this with social media which only exacerbates issues and the bleak future young people have its a recipe for depression and disaster.
Tiktok is messed up. My ex got addicted during covid (5-6 hrs a day, neglecting kids) and started calling me a covert narcists. Started labeling everyone as having ADHD, Bi Polar or Autistic. That damn app is wrapped around so many peoples minds and I don’t understand how.
btw, after therapists and lawyers, it turns out I’m not a covert narcist and she doesn’t have ADHD.
Marketing your physical attraction to push antidepressant medication, weird.
Medication like this ain’t the answer. Get off social media first then will talk
SSRIs never worked for me unfortunately but I’m happy for these people if they’ve found a solution. Depression is a bitchhh.
I’m sure this has nothing to do with this generation of therapists abandoning diagnoses of personality disorders in women thanks to the shift towards therapy based on “trauma-informed principles” and vapid displays of “empathy” in place of confrontation leading to insight-driven behavioural changes.
Combine that with the social currency which diagnoses carry for certain identity groups on and off social media — *not unlike the recent trends surrounding Tourette’s and Ehlers-Danlos* — and the circumstances which created such a scenario make sense; unless one would rather accept the reductive materialistic critique which conveniently neglects to acknowledge the prevalence of mental and personality disorders amongst those with a comfortable level of material wealth.
Basically the middle man has been cut out and your local drug dealer is now your psychiatrist. I’ve never done street drugs in my life, but I’ve done my fair share of psych meds to try and fit my odd puzzle piece self into the portrait of society.
Medication like antidepressants shouldn’t be taken lightly like this. It’s completely insulting to the people who need this kind of medication in order to not end themselves…the side effects, if tolerable enough, are worth it in my experience.