Image
© Najlah Feanny/CorbisPrescriptions for antidepressants such as Prozac have increased from 34m in 2007-08 to 43.4m in 2010-11.
  • Prescriptions rise by more than a quarter in three years
  • Depression costing economy nearly £11bn a year
  • Financial uncertainty thought to be factor
The use of antidepressants has risen by more than a quarter in England in just three years, amid fears that more people are suffering from depression due to the economic crisis.

The number of prescriptions for antidepressants increased by 28% from 34m in 2007-08 to 43.4m in 2010-11, according to the NHS information centre.

Depression is also costing the economy nearly £11bn a year in lost earnings, NHS care and drug prescriptions.

Research by the House of Commons found the cost to the NHS of treating the illness is more than £520m a year.

People who are unable to work due to depression lose £8.97bn of potential earnings a year, while the loss of earnings from suicide is put at £1.47bn.

Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat MP who commissioned the research, told the Independent:
"Failure to tackle depression hurts us all. It makes a misery of the lives of sufferers, costs the NHS in time and medication, and hampers business by forcing some people out of work."
Prescriptions for anti-anxiety drugs rose from just over 6m to 6.5m in the same period, an 8% jump, while prescriptions for sleeping pills rose 3% from around 9.9m to 10.2m.

The research found the north-west had the highest antidepressant use in 2010-11, with 7.2m prescriptions dispensed.

Paul Farmer, chief executive of the mental health charity Mind, said the tough economic times may have contributed to more people experiencing depression, but improved public awareness may also mean more people are seeking help.

"It's important to remember that antidepressants can be a lifeline for some people which enable them to manage their mental health problems," he said.


Comment: Antidepressants a lifeline for some people? or, as the following articles suggest, more profits for Big Pharma?

While the articles reference Big Pharma in the United States in addition to the UK, it is clear from the data that there is a push to prescribe antidepressants to many who may not need them. Read the following for more information:

Big Pharma's Latest Shady Ploy to Sell Depression Drugs That People May Not Need

Big Pharma Spends More On Advertising Than Research And Development, Study Finds

Why Antidepressants Don't Work for Treating Depression

Many Get Antidepressants for No Psychiatric Reason

Why antidepressants are simply a confidence trick: A leading psychologist claims taking sugar pills would work just as well:
We spend more than £250 m a year on antidepressants in the UK - and it's a complete waste of money.

They are not much better than sugar pills, they have nasty side - effects, such as sexual dysfunction, and they increase young people's risk of suicide.

New research shows they don't even work on the brain in the way we thought they did.

Information about the best way to treat patients was being hidden from doctors, and so billions of pounds were being wasted and patients were being exposed to dangerous chemicals for no real benefit.

My new analysis, published in 2002, found that all antidepressants, including the well-known SSRIs (serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors), had no clinically significant benefit over a placebo.

Emer O'Neill, chief executive of Depression Alliance, said:
"These uncertain economic times are linked to an increase in the number of people with the illness."