The British National Health Service (NHS) has, via the BBC, issued some worrisome data about anti-depressant consumption in England. From 2006 to 2010, the number of anti-depressant prescriptions increased by 43%, reaching nearly 23 million per year.
According to general practitioners, the increase is due to the impact of the financial crisis (financial concerns and job insecurity) on the English people’s morale.
Other causes are not being ruled out, however.
To wit, Emer O’Neill, Director of Depression Alliance UK, an association providing support to the depressed, feels that the increase could also reflect the fading stigma of depression. General practitioners are also said to be more capable of identifying and treating it.
The increase in anti-depressant consumption in our English counterparts also bears a geographic stamp. Illustrating this is the fact that anti-depressant consumption is higher in the North of the country than in the South, with Blackpool as the hotspot, posting 133 829 prescriptions for 100 000 inhabitants.
Anti-depressant prescriptions in England, 2009/10, per 100 000 inhabitants
What about the French?
The French are reputed to be the biggest anti-depressant consumers in the world. But that myth is being toppled today…
A study conducted by the French Public Health Insurance System (Ameli) compared medication consumption patterns in 7 countries across Europe, between 2006 and 2009.
France did stay in the top spot where healthcare expenditure per inhabitant is concerned. However, as regards anti-depressant consumption, it fell from the top to the 3rd spot, with a 1% decrease in anti-depressant volumes sold since 2006.
Could it be that the financial crisis had less impact on the French people’s morale?
The answer lies more in the Public Health Insurance System, which is implementing a cost-control policy, including the institution of individual practice improvement contracts (CAPI), which financially reward physicians who meet specific prescription targets.
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