Worried about the Economy? Forget It, Take a Pill--It's the American Way
Depression and The Recession: Cymbalta Sales Are on the Rise By Caitlin McDevitt Sunday, August 30, 2009 During a downturn, we tend to seek the "bright spots" -- sectors or products that are doing well when all the rest are struggling. For example, there were plenty of reports over the past year about retail items -- lipstick, chocolate, and macaroni and cheese -- that were bucking downward trends and selling well during the slump. While these stories were cautiously upbeat, news of an uptick in antidepressant sales despite -- or perhaps because of -- the recession was just plain depressing. Helplessness, pessimism and persistent sadness -- the main symptoms of depression -- didn't seem to abate as the economy crumbled.
About 164 million antidepressant prescriptions were written in 2008, 4 million more than in 2007, according to IMS Health, a health-care information and consulting company. Antidepressants were the third most prescribed type of drug in 2008, hitting $9.6 billion in sale…