Short term to get you out of the dark hole or unstuck the rut, antidepressants are no panacea but are helpful especially combined with some other form of psychotherapy to figure out the underlying problem.

Again, just anecdotal evidence, but I know people who have been taking it for more than 10 years with good results. One had to increase the dose over time but that's it. We don't know the long term impact of Lexapro and similar drugs to know how big issues the risk of dependence is. It's a tradeoff like everything in life. I agree it's better to find "safer" long term solutions if possible and stopping the meds gradually, but for many people it's not an option, so in the end it's their quality of life vs the long term risk of taking meds.

I feel many people who comment on meds like SSRI never really needed them so much so for them the long term safety is a big issue, but when these pills have a huge positive impact on your life then you are more willing to accept it.

As far as I know they were not developed or tested for anything beyond acute <6 month use

Don’t discount the successes of a short term efficacy. Depression is a deadly disease. Sometimes a short term efficacy can be the different between life and death.

Usually depression is treated with a mix of drugs—such as SSRIs—and psychotherapy. I think health officials are completely aware of the long term effects, and that is why the treatment is most often multi-faceted.

I worry about long-term users skipping a day and going deep down a blackhole. Some correlate mass shootings and heavy antidepressant use (then rapid cessation).