Britain's soaring dependency on anti-depressants

BRITAIN is more dependent on antidepressants than ever before — with prescriptions soaring to record levels since the pandemic.

- By Lucy Johnston SOCIAL AFFAIRS EDITOR

NHS records show almost 92.6 million prescriptions were issued in England last year, covering almost nine million patients — a rise of 15% since 2020.

Experts say the figures reveal a nation still struggling with the mental health fallout of Covid and its associated lockdowns, the cost-of-living crisis and health service backlogs.

Health chiefs admit the “silent epidemic” shows no sign of slowing, as the number of people now identified as needing the drugs has soared by almost 40% in just eight years.

The figures follow analysis published in health journal The Lancet, which showed the drugs were ineffective for people with less severe forms of depression.

Addiction treatment group Ukat found women remain far more likely than men to be prescribed so-called “happy pills”, accounting for around two thirds of all users.

People in their 30s and 60s are experiencing the biggest rise in use, with prescribing having surged by almost a quarter.