— After surgery, chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer left her on edge, 40-year-old Sadia Zapp of New York began an SSRI and found the constant, paralyzing worry eased. At the same time, high-profile critics including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have publicly questioned the safety and wider use of SSRIs, citing difficult discontinuation and potential links to violence — claims clinicians and researchers say are not supported by the evidence. Federal survey figures show a notable rise in Americans taking anxiety medications between 2019 and 2024, intensifying a debate over access, clinical guidance and public messaging.
Key Takeaways
- Between 2019 and 2024 the share of U.S. adults reporting use of anxiety medications rose from 11.7% to 14.3%, an increase of roughly 8 million people to about 38 million, according to CDC survey data.
- The largest increases were among ages 18–34 (from 8.8% in 2019 to 14.6% in 2024), college-educated adults, and people who identify as LGBTQ+.
- Common SSRI side effects include upset stomach, fatigue and cognitive dulling; sexual side effects occur for some users, and about 1 in 12 discontinue treatment because of adverse effects in a recent comprehensive study.
- Clinicians stress SSRIs are first-line treatments for many anxiety disorders and effective when combined with therapy; a recent study reported more than half of people with generalized anxiety disorder achieved a 50% symptom reduction on SSRIs.
- High-profile criticisms — including Secretary Kennedy’s Jan. 29 comments likening SSRI discontinuation to heroin addiction and his later suggestion of links to violent behavior — remain contested and are listed below as unconfirmed claims.
- Benzodiazepines pose a confirmed risk of dependence and require careful, limited use; they differ pharmacologically and in risk profile from SSRIs.
- Telehealth, wider public discussion of mental health on social media, and greater willingness to seek care have made prescriptions easier to obtain, raising access and quality-of-care questions.
Background
Prescription anxiety treatments in the U.S. have been rising for years, a trend accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic as social isolation, economic stress and disruptions to daily life increased population distress. Clinicians report a parallel expansion in teletherapy and remote medical consultations, which in many cases shortened the path from complaint to medication. Historically, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft) and escitalopram (Lexapro) became widely used beginning in the 1990s because of favorable safety profiles compared with older antidepressants.
Alongside broadened access, debates have emerged about causes of rising anxiety diagnoses and prescriptions: some groups emphasize lifestyle factors like diet and exercise, while psychiatry and public-health researchers point to structural pressures including economic inequality, diminished social capital and generational shifts in reported distress. Clinicians typically recommend a combination of psychosocial interventions and medication when indicated, and many professional bodies endorse evidence-based therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders.
Main Event
Federal survey data cited by reporters indicate the proportion of adults taking anxiety medications climbed from 11.7% in 2019 to 14.3% in 2024, translating to an estimated 8 million additional people on such drugs. Young adults drove much of that growth: among 18–34 year-olds, use rose from 8.8% to 14.6% over the same period. Clinicians attribute the increase to rising demand for care, reduced stigma, and easier access via primary care and telehealth visits.
On Jan. 29, 2026, during his confirmation process, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressed concern about broader SSRI use and compared difficulty stopping SSRIs to heroin withdrawal, a remark that generated swift pushback from psychiatry leaders. Kennedy later announced his agency was looking into potential associations between SSRIs and violent acts, including school shootings — a public claim that clinicians and researchers say has not been substantiated by robust evidence.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary has raised separate concerns about SSRI use in pregnancy and potential links to adverse birth outcomes; clinical experts counter that most evidence shows low absolute risk from SSRIs in pregnancy and that untreated maternal depression or anxiety carries substantial documented risks for both mother and infant. Professional societies have reiterated that medication decisions in pregnancy require individualized risk–benefit assessment.
Clinicians stress a distinction between SSRIs and benzodiazepines: benzodiazepines are effective for acute anxiety but have a higher risk of dependence and require careful, time-limited prescribing. Off-label use of beta-blockers like propranolol for situational anxiety has also increased; these drugs reduce autonomic symptoms but are not FDA-approved for generalized anxiety disorder.
Analysis & Implications
The public debate over SSRIs is now political as well as clinical. High-profile government attention to medication risks can alter prescribing behavior and patient willingness to use effective treatments; if messaging emphasizes rare harms without context, experts warn it could deter people from care and increase untreated anxiety burden. Conversely, dismissing all concerns would undermine trust in oversight and clinician transparency.
From a public-health perspective, the rise in medication use highlights gaps in workforce and treatment capacity. Telehealth has improved access, but brief virtual encounters may produce less thorough assessments than longer, multidisciplinary evaluations; the result can be overreliance on prescriptions where psychotherapy or combined care would be preferable. Policymakers must balance improving access with strengthening quality standards, follow-up, and coordination.
In pregnancy and perinatal care, clinicians emphasize individualized counseling: while most data point to low absolute teratogenic risk from commonly used SSRIs, untreated maternal anxiety and depression are associated with higher rates of obstetric complications and adverse neonatal outcomes. Clear guidance and shared decision-making are essential to avoid unintended harm from abrupt changes in public messaging.
Finally, the politicization of psychiatric medications risks deepening mistrust in both medicine and regulators. Evidence-based policymaking should rely on systematic reviews and large epidemiologic studies; isolated anecdotes and preliminary signals require careful investigation before informing broad public recommendations.
Comparison & Data
| Group | 2019 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| All adults (US) | 11.7% | 14.3% |
| Ages 18–34 | 8.8% | 14.6% |
| Estimated total users | ~30 million (2019) | ~38 million (2024) |
These figures come from federal survey data as reported in the public coverage; they reflect self-reported medication use and are subject to reporting and sampling limitations. The largest proportional increases occurred in younger adults and in groups more willing to seek mental-health care; absolute rates among older adults changed little. Analysts caution that cross-year comparisons may reflect both true prevalence shifts and changing healthcare-seeking behavior.
Reactions & Quotes
Clinicians and professional organizations have publicly disputed claims that SSRIs are broadly harmful when used as directed and monitored, stressing the drugs’ established role in treating anxiety disorders.
“The statements about SSRIs were just not grounded in any sort of evidence or fact.”
Patrick Kelly, President, Southern California Psychiatric Society (statement to reporters)
Psychiatrists emphasize combination treatment: medication plus evidence-based psychotherapy often produces the best outcomes for many anxiety disorders.
“When it’s being done right and with appropriate therapy techniques, SSRIs can be really, really helpful.”
Emily Wood, Psychiatrist, Los Angeles (clinical comment)
Advocates for caution about some prescriptions point to real risks with benzodiazepines and to the need for careful tapering and follow-up for any patient discontinuing psychiatric medication.
“Benzodiazepines are great for acute anxiety but not as long-term medications because they can be habit-forming over time.”
Emily Wood, Psychiatrist (clinical guidance)
Unconfirmed
- Secretary Kennedy’s comparison that stopping SSRIs is harder than quitting heroin is an individual claim lacking systematic evidence and remains unproven.
- Public statements suggesting a direct causal link between SSRI prescriptions and mass violence, including school shootings, have not been substantiated by peer-reviewed epidemiology and are under further review.
- Claims that SSRI use in pregnancy definitively causes poor birth outcomes conflict with most large observational studies reporting low absolute risk; definitive causation has not been established and remains a subject for careful clinical evaluation.
Bottom Line
Use of anxiety medications in the U.S. rose noticeably between 2019 and 2024, driven largely by younger adults, wider access to care and greater willingness to seek treatment. SSRIs remain evidence-based first-line pharmacologic options for many anxiety disorders, with predictable side-effect profiles and demonstrable benefit for many patients when prescribed and monitored appropriately.
High-profile critiques by federal officials have elevated public concern and underscore the need for transparent, evidence-driven communication from health authorities. Policymakers and clinicians should prioritize clear guidance, strengthen pathways to combined therapy and ensure patients receive individualized risk–benefit counseling rather than broad, alarmist messaging.