The Public Health Impact of Antidepressant Medications

General population surveys often report that only a small proportion of individuals with commonmental disorders seek mental health treatment, suggesting a high level of unmet need for mental healthcare in the community. in recent years, however, the number of adults in industrialized countries whoare treated with antidepressant medications has dramatically increased. this paper reviews the publichealth impact of the increase in the use of antidepressant medications. whereas some studies suggest adecrease in the incidence of suicide corresponding with the increase in the use of antidepressantmedications, other studies do not report such an association. furthermore, there has been no change inthe period prevalence of common mental disorders concurrent with the increase in the use ofantidepressant medications. focusing effort and resources on expanding the capacity of mental healthservices and improving access to these services without attention to quality, intensity and appropriatetargeting of treatments may have limited impact on the mental health of populations.iranian journal of psychiatry and behavioral sciences(ijpbs) , volume 1, number 1, spring and summer 2007 : 2-6.