According to NHS statistics, nearly half a million more people in England now take antidepressants than the previous year.
There has been an increase in prescriptions for teenagers and children.
There was an increase of 5% in the number adults who received them between 2021-22 – from 7.9million in the previous twelve months to 8.3million in the current year.
This is the sixth consecutive year of an increase in prescriptions and patients.
Between 2021-2022, 83.4 million antidepressant drugs were prescribed. This represents a 5% increase over the previous year.
The medication was also taken by a growing number of children – the numbers went up just 8% from 10,994 to 11,878 in the 10-14-year-olds to 166,922 and 180,455 respectively in the 15-19-year-olds.
Data showed that women are twice as likely as men to receive antidepressants.
Fiona Robertson, a 35-year-old at-home caregiver, has taken antidepressants since 2013 in an effort to improve her mental health.
According to her, they were a “lifesaver” for her and an “instrumental in my healing”.
Fiona believes there is still stigma surrounding taking them. She’s also found that people are resistant to them when she looks at social media support groups.
She says that people are made to feel ashamed, not resilient enough, or lazy and need a quick fix.
“I have seen people advise people to exercise or eat healthy, instead of taking these drugs. This can make people put off visiting the doctor.”
She wants people not to be afraid of seeking help.
In November, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said that mild depression should be treated with therapy or exercise first.
In some cases, it also suggested group meditation classes or behavioural therapy as well as individual counselling sessions.
Alexa Knight is the charity’s policy manager. She stated: “The fallout of the pandemic as well as the cost-of living crisis means we should undoubtedly worry about the current pressures that people are experiencing with their mental health.
“But, the increasing number of antidepressant prescribeds could also indicate that people feel more comfortable seeking out support when they need it.”
She also stated that people should be offered different treatment depending on their severity of depression.
