Nearly seven in 10 Americans taking antidepressants aren’t clinically depressed, a new study finds.

The study, published  in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, shows that 69 percent of Baltimore-area patients using the depression drugs don’t meet the criteria for major depressive disorder.

What’s more, the researchers found 38 percent of antidepressant users don’t meet the criteria for other conditions for which they are often prescribed, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder.

“Many individuals who are prescribed and use antidepressant medications may not have met criteria for mental disorders,” they concluded. “Our data indicate that antidepressants are commonly used in the absence of clear evidence-based indications.”

The findings suggest many Americans may be over-medicated with depression drugs, which are among the medicines most prescribed by U.S. doctors.

The researchers noted people prescribed antidepressants were more likely to be white and have such health problems as back pain, bladder control issues, and hypertension.