Anti-depressant use doubles in past decade as doctors dole out happy pills
Social media, political change and the isolation from friends, family and the community blamed for rise
THE number of anti-depressants doled out by doctors has more than doubled in a decade, official figures show.
They issued 64.7 million prescriptions last year compared with 31 million in 2006, in a development described as “concerning”.
The happy pill bill for 2016 hit £267million as demand rose six per cent on the previous year — the largest increase for any class of drug, the NHS Digital report said.
Marjorie Wallace, chief executive at Sane, said the rise reflected an increase in calls to the mental health charity.
She blamed factors including the impact of social media, political change and “fragmentation of relationships with family, friends and the wider community”.
Stephen Buckley, of mental health charity Mind, said the steady increase showed an “unmet need” in care.
Explaining the rise, he added: “It may be more people are seeking help, or that GPs are now better at spotting symptoms.”
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Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard, of the Royal College of GPs, said doctors prescribe mood enhancers only after “a full and frank discussion”.
She added: “Nevertheless, no doctor wants their patients to be reliant on medication.
“Where possible we’ll always explore alternatives such as talking therapies.”
The total bill for all NHS prescriptions is £9.2billion.