Reports reveal that antidepressant use in Scotland reaches new high

The number of people on antidepressants in Scotland has reached a new high, according to a new report.

Official figures reveal that more than 902,000 people received at least one antidepressant last year.

This represents a 42% increase in the number of patients receiving the drug since 2009/10, according to ISD Scotland.

He also reported a 73% increase in the number of prescriptions for antidepressants over the last decade, from 3.8 million in 2007/08 to 6.6 million last year.

Antidepressants are commonly prescribed to treat depression, but certain types of medications are also used to treat conditions such as migraine, chronic pain and EM.

A breakdown of the numbers shows that about two-thirds (65.8%) of the patients dispensed by these drugs are women.

Antidepressants were found to be highest in the 50-54 age group, before gradually decreasing with age.

The report also pointed to a link with deprivation.

More than 251,000 people in the most deprived areas received antidepressants in 2017-2018, compared with 123,000 in the least deprived areas.