One in nine taking antidepressants
Mentalhealth Awareness Week 2020
More than antidepressant prescriptions have been handed out across the Bay of Plenty in the past five years and one clinical lead says there’s a rising trend in children coming in, with amain cause being sexual abuse.
The figures equate to one in nine people, or 12,111 individuals, in the Lakes District Health Board area taking antidepressants.
Meanwhile, Rotorua’s $30.7 million business case for the Mauri Ora new inpatient facility is waiting Government approval.
The Ministry of Health revealed the number of antidepressant prescriptions dispensed rose by 5200 between 2015 and 2019 in the health board area with a total of 41,039 pharmacy prescriptions last year.
According to Stats NZ, the number of people in Lakes District Health Board was 109,080 as of the 2018
21,500
Census. In 2006, the population was 98,319.
In five years, the number of antipsychotic prescriptions also rose from 11,523 to 12,691. The total number of people on prescribed antipsychotics was 3075 last year, up about 700 on 2015 figures.
In the lead up to Mental Health Awareness Week this week, the health board was asked questions about the increase in the use of medications and what reasons may be behind that but said it was unable to help.
There had been 338 admissions to
Rotorua’s Whare Whakaue adult mental health inpatient unit with 259 patients in the last financial year, ending in June.
The unit has been a point of concern for several years and a business case has been put forward to fix it.
A health board spokeswoman said the $30.7m business case for the Mauri Ora new inpatient facility was with the Capital Investment Committee for approval.
Meanwhile, about one in eight people are on antidepressants in the Bay of Plenty District Health Board area where the number of prescriptions dispensed rose by 16,364 in five years - to 97,156 pharmacy prescriptions last year.
This accounted for 28,669 people up more than 4000 on 2015.
The number of people in Bay of Plenty District Health Board was 240,183 in the 2018 Census.
In 2006, the population was 194,931 and rose to 205,995 in 2013, according to Statsnz.
The number of antipsychotic prescriptions rose by around 6200 to 30,488 in the same time period. The total number of people on prescribed antipsychotics was 7314 last year, up more than 1300 on 2015 figures.
There were 957 individuals cared for in Tauranga and Whakata¯ne Hospital’s mental health inpatient wards in the year ending in June.
In January, it was announced the health board would receive $30m for the creation of a new mental health and addictions facility in Tauranga and $15m for one in Whakata¯ne.
Bay of Plenty District Health associate clinical nurse manager Te Whare Miangiangi Jocelyn Wooller said they were working with the local communities, iwi and the Ministry of Health on critical success factors, business cases and early design for the two facilities.
Building work on both was expected to begin mid-next year.
Rotorua’s Owhata medical lead, who did not want to be named, said they were seeing an increased number of teens and preteens with diagnosed depression and anxiety.
“Some younger than that have depression.”
One of the most common causes of this was sexual abuse, often by family members, as well as physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect.
She said social media also had a role to play in the anxiety which was coming through at their practice.
While there was a need for mental health services for children and teens, she said the services available to them were at “maximum capacity”. Antidepressants were not the medical centre’s first port of call, she
10, even
9, said, and were given to acute cases.
Salvation Army community ministries director Lieutenant Kylie Overbye said the numbers were concerning, but not surprising and more timely counselling services were needed in Rotorua.
“There’s a lot going on for people these days with such a fast-paced society we live in, and pressures of life that people feel they have to attain to.”
Last week, the Salvation Army released the State of our Communities Report, shining the spotlight on mental health, housing, income and employment in Rotorua, Johnsonville and Queenstown.
Communities raised concerns around access to mental health services and locals consistentlymade reports of increased stress, anxiety, and hardship that affected mental health. Overbye said she had seen
antidepressants prove helpful for some individuals but it was a sensitive and personal matter.
Mount Maunganui’s Dr Tony Farrell said the rise in need for mental health medication was due to a growing population, poor alcohol policy, poverty and limited resources for counselling.
“People are working long hours in New Zealand just to make ends meet. There are a lot of people just surviving and not thriving.”
He said 20 per cent of the population used alcohol in a “risky fashion”, which was known to increase mental health difficulties.
“The biggest myth is that alcohol is a low-risk drug for mental health. It is not. All alcohol policy that restricts alcohol reduces suicide — and we have a suicide problem,” he said.
“We could focus on a better public health approach for alcohol and other drugs and reduce medications.”
Farrell explained many medications were used temporarily to help with recovery, were generally not addictive and they were not “happy pills”. He said they improved the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brains.
“Antidepressants have modest effects at best but they are very useful for severe depression where people can’t eat or sleep.”
Someone staying on medication may need ongoing treatment for their mental health symptoms to remain stable. Psychiatric medications can also be used for pain syndromes, anxiety, sleep, agitation, and drug withdrawal.
Bay of Plenty District Health Board mental health clinical director Dr Fiona Miller said a misconception was the use of medications for mental
the
need
for health could be seen as “all good” or “all bad”.
“The reality is that there are situations where medications can be a very important part of treatment for mental illness, but other times when social connectedness, support, talking therapy, or lifestyle choices are more important.”
Miller said the length of time someone stayed on medication varies depending on reasons and other circumstances; some conditions were long-term, relapsing chronic disorders, and others only required short-term treatment.
She explained a range of conditions required medication. Antidepressants could be used for conditions such as chronic pain. Antipsychotics can be used to help with distress or insomnia, for example, or behaviours associated with dementia.