Medical experts have called for fewer antidepressants to be issued in an open letter to the UK government. The letter, published in the British Medical Journal, states that despite rising numbers of prescriptions being issued to patients with depression there is no evidence for better levels of mental health.
The letter says: “Rising antidepressant prescribing is not associated with an improvement in mental health outcomes at the population level, which, according to some measures, have worsened as antidepressant prescribing has risen.”
About 8.6 million people in England were prescribed antidepressants during 2022-23, which is double the total for 2011. Despite this, the nation’s mental health is deteriorating. The letter recommends that instead of pills, more is done to tackle the root causes of depression, such as loneliness and poverty.
It is also suggested that more psychotherapies should be prescribed instead of antidepressant medication. This is a term that is sometimes also known as talking therapy, because it involves a patient talking through their problems or emotions with a trained therapist.
The therapist will work with the patient to help them identify causes for their issues, or to make positive changes in their thoughts or behaviour. For example, it can help people to deal with emotional or mental problems such as depression, stress, anxiety, grief, eating disorders, or obsessive compulsive behaviour.
There are a range of different therapies that can be tailored to individual needs, so it might take a few sessions to decide which one might be most effective for you. For example, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a therapy that focuses on identifying and addressing current problems, rather than delving into the past.
Some people prefer this approach, because it is about taking practical and achievable action rather than having to talk in depth about feelings or experiences that might be difficult or disturbing. It seeks to replace unhelpful or disordered thoughts or behaviours with more constructive or realistic approaches.
Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) is another popular and effective psychotherapy. This was originally designed to help patients with post-traumatic stress syndrome. It makes use of eye movements to help unblock and reprocess traumatic memories, helping to break the negative cycle and reduce emotional distress.
The BMJ letter coincides with the launch of the all-party parliamentary group Beyond Pills, which is concerned with what it regards as the overreliance on antidepressants in the healthcare system.
Former NHS chief executive Lord Nigel Crisp commented: “The high rate of prescribing of antidepressants over recent years is a clear example of over-medicalisation, where patients are often prescribed unnecessary and potentially harmful drugs instead of tackling the root causes of their suffering, such as loneliness, poverty or poor housing.”
He added: “The Beyond Pills APPG is being launched to raise awareness of this public health issue. It will focus on promoting proven alternatives to pills such as social prescribing and psychological therapies, as well as local services to help people withdraw safely from these medicines.”
However, it should be noted that anyone who has been taking antidepressants for long-term medication should not stop taking them without seeking medical advice first.
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