Debt problems are helping drive up demand for antidepressant medications among Britons, experts have warned.
Recently released figures, obtained from the NHS Prescriptions Service, show that 41 million prescriptions were issued to the British public in 2010 alone.
Notably, more than half of these were written out for antidepressants, with GPs reporting a four-fold increase in the use of such treatments over the past four years.
Since this period coincides with the onset of the global economic crisis, experts believe that Britons’ financial problems and debt concerns have contributed to a marked rise in cases of mental illness, and predict that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future.
"The financial strain on many people has never been worse," Emma O'Neill, chief executive of Depression Alliance UK explained.
"They are worried about their spiralling bills and where their next meal is coming from."
Debt Problems Behind Soaring Demand For Antidepressants
Tue, 26 Apr 2011
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