SCOTLAND IS HOOKED ON HAPPY PILLS
Staggering one in five taking antidepressants
ALMOST one in five Scots are being prescribed antidepressants or ‘happy pills’, according to shocking new figures.
Just under one million Scots are taking the pills, sparking fears that doctors are handing them out too often.
The figures come amid growing concerns that patients prescribed antidepressants suffer far higher levels of side-effects, addiction and withdrawal symptoms than previously thought.
A record number of patients – 902,168 across the country – were given so-called ‘happy pills’ in the last year.
Last night, critics demanded that the Scottish Government ‘wake up and take action’.
The latest annual NHS Scotland figures on mental health prescribing show the cost of the drugs rose from £40.5million to almost £45million in the past decade, and the number of prescription items dispensed soared from 3.8million to
6.6million. Scottish Conservative mental health spokesman Annie Wells warned the latest figures indicate an ‘over-reliance’ on the pills.
Marion Brown, of patient support group Recovery and Renewal, said: ‘I am very deeply concerned about this new data.
‘GPs are being misled by flawed prescribing guidance that plays down the very significant problems with these drugs.’
Antidepressants are given to patients with a range of conditions including depression, anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder and some types of pain.
The prescribed antidepressants mostly consist of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac as well as tricyclic antidepressants that are given to patients whose symptoms do not improve on SSRIs, or to those with conditions such as bipolar disorder.
But there are growing fears that many patients face severe side-effects when trying to come off antidepressants.
A recent review of medical evidence shows that more than half of people suffer withdrawal symptoms if they try to come off the drugs.
The worst-hit experience nausea, anxiety, insomnia and agitation – with many people put back on antidepressants because doctors mistake the symptoms for a relapse of depression itself.
The NHS guidance, which is UK-wide, is now being reviewed and the Scottish Government has also set up a working group to examine the problem.
Yesterday the Scottish Daily Mail revealed that a survey of patients showed prescriptions were being offered as a ‘first course of action’ and patients are not being told about the risk of addiction, side effects or withdrawal.
The survey examined the personal accounts of patients who submitted responses to the Petitions Committee of the Scottish parliament which is considering a call for better support for patients who become addicted to drugs prescribed by doctors.
Glasgow MSP Miss Wells said: ‘The continual, dramatic annual increases of prescriptions suggest an over-reliance that is cause for concern.
‘The SNP has stated it would reduce antidepressant prescriptions but the opposite is happening. The SNP must wake up and take the action they promised.’
Doctors’ group the Council for Evidence Based Psychiatry warned: ‘Despite rising prescription rates and increasing numbers of long-term users it is uncertain whether long term use of antidepressants is safe or effective.’
A recent report comparing 23 UK and international studies found that 56 per cent of people who attempted to come off antidepressants experienced withdrawal effects, and nearly half of these described them as severe.
Scottish Lib Dem health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton warned Scots face long waits to see mental health counsellors.
He said: ‘We have uncovered adults waiting years for the support they need. The reality is health professionals have been underfunded and overburdened for too long.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We are committed to ensuring people get the right mental health help.
‘Improving mental health services is a priority for this Government, which is why we have committed £250million of new funding for mental health.’
‘Waiting years for support’