UK Antidepressant Prescriptions Rise Sharply From Recession

The NHS released figures showing that in the last decade, antidepressant prescriptions rose 95%. The most alarming figure, however, was the almost double annual rise from 2008 to 2009.

The sharp increase in the past year was attributed to stress and worry caused from the global economic downturn but there are likely to be several reasons for the increase in the past ten years There has been many more new drugs released to treat depression in that time, for one thing. Another cause is likely the improvement in the accuracy and early intervention of diagnosis these days. There also is not quite as much stigma surrounding the idea of admitting that you might need some help.

However, some doctors are concerned over how many of those people are put on medications when they shouldn’t be rather than be involved in therapy. Often those with mild depressive symptoms can be treated effectively and safely without medications but there is a shortage of the so-called “talking therapies” so therefore they get put on drugs.

Professor Steve Field, with the Royal College of General Practitioners, said, “I’m concerned that too many people are being prescribed antidepressants and not being given counselling and cognitive behaviour therapy, because access to those therapies, while it is improving, is still patchy.”

“More people are being diagnosed with depression, but many of them would be treated better by having access to talking therapies, especially those with mild to moderate depression. I’m concerned that these people are being treated with medication unnecessarily.”

The director of public education at the Royal College of Pyschiatrists, Peter Byrne, was similarly concerned, as well was Tim Kendall, the director of the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health.

“Antidepressants are offered too frequently in primary care because the waiting lists for alternative treatments are too long. Doctors need to think hard about putting people on these drugs because they can be hard to get off and have significant side-effects,” said Kendall.