Anti-anxiety medication prescriptions have spiked 34% during the coronavirus pandemic

Americans are also filling more prescriptions for antidepressants and anti-insomnia drugs

The coronavirus is taking a toll on mental health.
The number of prescriptions for antidepressant, anti-anxiety and anti-insomnia medications filled per week increased 21% between Feb. 16 and March 15, 2020, according to a recent report by Express Scripts, a Cigna-owned CI, -0.51%  pharmacy benefit manager. The study analyzed prescription claims filled between Jan. 19 and March 15 of this year among a sample of more than 31.5 million commercially-insured individuals, and found that claims peaked during the week ending March 15, when the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.

Anti-anxiety drugs saw the biggest spike, jumping 34.1%, which was more than double the number of insomnia aids (14.8%), and almost twice as high as antidepressants (18.6%).

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Anti-anxiety medication prescriptions have spiked 34% during the coronavirus pandemic