Antidepressants can cause ‘emotional blunting’, study shows

Not too surprising. It would be more surprising if drugs were selective about the emotions to be blunted out.

  "My worry is that people would see this and think the message is, don’t take the medication"

I believe the message should be that you need to take it, but only if you really do need it. And be aware that most drugs come at a price. Antidepressants also don't cure depressions, the suppress a symptom.

Something like one third of the full-time employed population of the UK took an antidepressant during 2021-22.

I don't know if that's indicative of anything. How could we compare that to people living in the same area, say, 100 years ago. If they had access to antidepressants would they seek that class of drug?

Could we use alcohol / opium / marijuana consumption as proxies, rate of some sorts of crime, infant mortality?

Not a surprise given their general method of action. Messing with seratonin pathways is always tricky.

The issue here I feel is that sometimes depression is a symptom that one needs to change something in their life. So I dont think we should try to blunt all suffering.