Depression, antidepressants and withdrawal in the community

The 10th of October is World Mental Health Day, and visibility of mental health is increasing across the globe. In the UK, the prevalence of depression rose from 2.2% to 2.6% from 1993 to 2007, but then further jumped to 3.8% by 2014 (Public Health England (PHE), 2019). A leading cause of global social and occupational impairment, depression is considered common, and it cost England £7.5 billion in social costs in 2007 (PHE, 2019).

A review investigating dependence and withdrawal issues associated with five commonly prescribed medicines in England has been published by PHE (2019), covering the latest evidence and highlighting patients& experiences.

The findings indicate that antidepressants in particular are being prescribed in much greater numbers and for longer durations, whereas prescriptions of benzodiazepines and opioids have fallen in recent years (PHE, 2019).