Aussies on meds express Antidepressants double

THE number of Australians using antidepressants has more than doubled this century and only Iceland now has a higher rate of use of the drugs.

Experts are warning we may soon need to take action to check doctors prescribing the pills in the same way we are re-educating the population about antibiotic use.

It points to the desperate need for $1 billion of new spending on community mental health services called for by the National Mental Health Commission in 2015, Mental Health Australia says.

More than 2.7 million Australians are taking antidepressants and together with antianxiety medications they make up 10 of the top 50 most prescribed medications on our medicines subsidy scheme.

Ten years ago there were only seven antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines in the top 50 most prescribed medicines, government Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data shows.

Figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) show in 2000 45 Australians in every 1000 adults were prescribed antidepressants by 2013 that had risen to 96 people in every 1000.

Beyond Blue spokesman Dr Stephen Carbone says the growth in antidepressant use is not necessarily a bad thing.

“You could argue we are ahead of the game in raising public awareness and the destigmatisation of the conditions,” he said.

Mental health conditions are the third biggest group of conditions suffered by Australians, they are serious conditions and it is not surprising medications for them make it into the top ten prescription count, he said.

Mental Health Australia chief Frank Quinlan said a recent UN report expressed concern we were over medicalising mental problems when the first interventions should be supports for relationships, families, financial stability and employment stability.