OHIO — A recent study showed the number of antidepressants being prescribed to teenage girls is rising at a higher rate than normal.

Experts believe the isolation during the pandemic has a lot to do with it. 

What You Need To Know

  • A recent study showed that the number of antidepressants being prescribed to teenage girls is increasing  

  •  Some medical experts believe the rise has to do with the isolation of the pandemic 

  • The study also showed that the rate at which antidepressants have been prescribed to ages 12 to 25 jumped 64% faster than normal since March 2020 

The study from the University of Michigan found that ever since the pandemic started, the rate at which antidepressants have been prescribed to 12-17-year-old girls jumped 130% faster than it normally does. Psychiatrists in Ohio are seeing similar patterns.

“I think that there’s so much anxiety that goes along with that,” said Dr. Kelly Blankenship, Dayton Children’s Hospital Chief of Psychiatry. “And we also know this is true for everybody, but it’s especially true for adolescents and young adults that they really they really need that socialization.”

The study showed that teenage girls are not the only ones affected. For ages 12-25, the rate at which antidepressants have been prescribed since March 2020 jumped 64% faster than normal.