Use and Non-Use of Medication by Sufferers of Selected Symptoms of Depression

Abstract

The overuse of drugs as a means of alleviating stress and anxiety is thought to be characteristic of modern American society. This article addresses the problem by asking the question: given the number of people suffering from certain common symptoms, what percentage will seek relief through the use of medication? Multiple standardization is used to assess the effects of race, sex, age, marital status, and SES on the proportions of people reporting each symptom and the proportions of those who took medications, both before and after standardization for subgroup differences. More than 40 percent of the nearly 4000 adults surveyed reported some problems of sleeplessness and enervation, but when only those who reported persistent problems are examined, very few resorted to medications. The authors conclude that the U.S. is not a “pill-popping” society as depicted by the popular press.