Report: The silent pandemic and the COVID-19 impact on mental health

While Americans fought against the coronavirus in 2020, a new and silent pandemic emerged that affected the mental health of millions of people across the country. According to a JAMA network study, depression rates have tripled among U.S. adults in the past year as a result of the ongoing pandemic. As millions adapted to a new normal that included social distancing and, at times, social isolation, new guidelines, and updated measures exacerbated issues for many struggling with their mental health. 

In 2020, SingleCare saw a nearly 20% increase in prescription fills year-over-year for antidepressants, and that includes particularly high growth rates for treating children and young adults. According to a recent SingleCare survey, 60% said that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their mental health. Remarkably, 68% of respondents said they did not struggle with mental health prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Clearly the pandemic has had a significantly negative impact on the mental health of people across the country,” says Ramzi Yacoub, Pharm.D., chief pharmacy officer at SingleCare. “Increases we’re seeing in antidepressant prescription fills, especially among younger cohorts, speak to the intense challenges that so many face with mental health that have been amplified in a pandemic environment. Symptoms may sometimes be subtle, however, the unknown long-term and potentially more significant effects are what we will need to continue to monitor and assess from a clinical perspective.”

SingleCare analyzed its 2020 antidepressant prescription fill data to see the impact on mental health during COVID-19 and other emerging trends.  

Antidepressant fills for children and young adults spike by nearly 50% since the onset of the pandemic

SingleCare analyzed prescription fill data for individual age groups and found that those under the age of 25 saw the greatest year-over-year increase in fills compared to any other cohort with a nearly 50% increase in antidepressant consumption. Additionally, every individual member within the 25 and under age group on average filled 10% more antidepressant prescriptions when compared to 2019. The most commonly filled prescriptions for those in this cohort were Fluoxetine, a generic form of Prozac used to treat moderate to severe depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, which saw a 46% increase in fills; and Sertraline, a generic form of Zoloft used to treat moderate to severe depression, which saw a 51% increase in fills. 

According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), mental health emergency visits for ages 5-11 and 12-17 increased by 24% and 31% from April to October 2020, respectively. In a recent SingleCare survey, among the 14% of respondents who said the pandemic has impacted their child’s mental health, the most common responses were those of feeling loneliness (26%), isolation (20%), and anxiety (20%).“It’s important for both children and young adults to talk to a parent or trusted adult about how they are feeling about the pandemic so they can seek ways to treat and help,” Dr. Yacoub says. 

Top antidepressant fills in 2020

In a recent SingleCare survey, among the 60% of U.S. respondents who said the pandemic has affected their mental health, 47% report feeling stressed, 41% feeling anxious, and 38% feeling depressed. In June 2020, SingleCare saw a 37% increase in new members filling antidepressant medications. 

Below are the most commonly dispensed antidepressant medications that saw the highest increases in fills on SingleCare in 2020. 

https://www.singlecare.com/blog/report-the-silent-pandemic-and-the-covid-19-impact-on-mental-health/

Mental health challenges are being felt nationwide 

SingleCare analyzed antidepressant fills across all ages in each state and found these were the top 10 states to see the greatest year-over-year increase. 

State Year-over-year percent change 1. California 46% 2. Montana 44% 3. Connecticut 39% 4. New York 33% 5. Pennsylvania 33% 6. Arizona 31% 7. Louisiana 30% 8. Texas 29% 9. Mississippi 26% 10. Colorado 25%

Data methodology

Data analyzed included prescription antidepressant medications filled by SingleCare consumers during 2019 and 2020. Data was reviewed and analyzed by the SingleCare team as of Apr. 21, 2021.

Survey methodology

SingleCare conducted this survey online through SurveyMonkey on Feb. 26, 2021. This survey includes 1,060 United States residents adults ages 18+. Age and gender were census-balanced to match the U.S. population in age, gender, and U.S. region.