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According to one study, prescriptions for antidepressants increased in England after the referendum that triggered Brexit, unlike other classes of drugs where demand was down.
A research team led by King's College London (KCL) said the findings were subject to interpretation, but that this trend could be due to the increased uncertainty felt by some sectors of the population to following the vote.
The UK voted in favor of leaving the EU on June 23, 2016, which resulted in a period of prolonged national uncertainty about the future.
Concerns and insecurity
"Some people may have been concerned about their jobs, some companies were threatening to move, [and] EU nationals might worry about knowing they would be allowed to stay, "said Sotiris Vandoros, a lecturer in health economics at KCL. Medscape News UK.
Write in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the researchers said the results underscore the importance of maintaining a strategy for good mental health of the population in times of economic and political upheaval.
The study compared the official monthly antidepressant prescription data for all 326 constituencies in England with other classes of medications for conditions less likely to be immediately affected by mood changes. These included drugs to treat iron deficiency anemia, gout and thyroid disease, blood glucose and blood lipid lowering drugs, insulins and muscle relaxants.
Prescriptions for antidepressants have been selected as an indicator of psychological distress, the researchers explained. The other medications were chosen because they reflected conditions that should not fluctuate due to mental health issues.
5-year prescription patterns
Prescription patterns were recorded for each month of July between 2011 and 2016 to reflect prescribing trends up to and including the day after the referendum result.
To make sure they could compare different types of drugs, they calculated a "defined daily dose", obtained by quantifying the number of milligrams prescribed – derived from the number of pills in a box, multiplied by the strength of each pill .
Data analysis showed that prior to the referendum, the defined daily dose of antidepressants increased in July from year to year, as did prescriptions for other classes of medications.
However, in the month following the referendum, the demand for antidepressants continued to increase, although its pace was slower, but those of other drugs declined.
The only exception is prescriptions for muscle relaxants, which were already declining.
The researchers calculated that after the referendum, the volume of prescribed antidepressants had increased by 13.4% compared to other drugs.
& # 39; Demographic distress & # 39;
The authors concluded that "the results suggest that the vote on Brexit could have had consequences that went beyond changes in trade, immigration or the economy, influencing psychological well-being and driving to increased distress of the population ".
However, they warn that the results can be interpreted and should be treated with caution. "It does not capture the mood of people not taking antidepressants," Sotiris Vandoros said. "We do not think there is an average mood deterioration in the UK The majority voted in favor of leaving, so these people were probably happy, but that would not be recorded in the data."
However, he added, when coupled with previous research, particularly on the effects of economic recessions on populations, it was important to stress that "people should take care of their mental health from the same way that they take care of their physical health ".
"Treat the results with caution"
Allan Young, professor of mood disorders at the KCL Institute of Psychiatric Psychiatry and Neuroscience, commented on the study: "Although these results are interesting and appealing, they need to be treated with a As the authors note, an observational study such as this one can not attribute cause and effect.
"The prescriptions of antidepressants have steadily increased in England in recent years and these data may simply indicate that it is not an isolated event." It should be noted that Antidepressants are prescribed to treat anxiety disorders and mood disorders and that it is credible worried because of the recent uncertainty of society.However, anxiety levels in the population have not been reported in this study, so they can not be shown explicitly.
"Nevertheless, the call to support mental health problems should be heard."
Philippa Bradnock, Information Officer at Mind, a mental health charity, said, "Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are complex and vary from person to person. It is therefore very difficult to draw conclusions about how a factor can affect our mental health.
"Too often, though, people have been unable to get the support they need," she said. In the last budget, we were promised an additional £ 2 billion for mental health, which was welcome, but we see this as more of a 'down payment'. & # 39; on what must be a much faster growth in the future.
"For many years, huge sums will have to be invested to repair the damage caused by cuts in the NHS, social services, public health and the benefit system."
The EU referendum and short-term mental health: a natural experiment using prescriptions of antidepressants in England, Vandoros S et al, J Epidemiol Community Health.
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