Nearly two decades ago, Cruise infamously lashed out at the use of antidepressants and psychiatry in a controversial 2005 interview on Today, calling the field a “pseudoscience.”
Though his statements at the time drew backlash, some now see his stance in a new light, as America grapples with surging rates of depression and prescription drug use among young adults.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 17.8 percent of Americans were diagnosed with depression in 2023 — a stark rise from just 5.4 percent in 2005. Meanwhile, 11 percent of Americans were taking antidepressants last year, with usage among 18- to 24-year-olds jumping 35 percent between 2018 and 2023.
Cruise, a long-time critic of psychiatric drug use – especially in younger populations – said in his infamous 2005 interview: ‘All (antidepressants) do is mask the problem. You’re not getting to the reason why.’
He added: “If you start talking about chemical imbalance, you have to evaluate and read the research papers on how they came up with these theories of chemical imbalance in the brain. There is no science behind it.”
While Cruise‘s words sparked outrage then, some mental health professionals now echo aspects of his skepticism.
