£10m in two years on pills for depression

Published on Friday 22 May 2009 09:57

MORE than £10 million has been spent in the past two years on dishing out anti-depressants to people in the Lothians.

New figures show that even after prescription charges, roughly 5m a year is spent on the thousands who report to Lothian GPs with feelings of depression or anxiety.

The revelation has led to calls for more emphasis to be put on alternative treatments rather than relying on tablets to cure psychiatric problems. Criticism has also been levelled at the length of time people have to wait for counselling sessions, which drives them to pills in the meantime.

Latest statistics show that over the past two years millions have been spent on dozens of different drugs, including the popular Venlafaxine and Trazodone Hydrochloride.

The Scottish Government has a target of stopping the rise in anti-depressant prescriptions by next year. Some initiatives have already been launched to meet this, including an NHS Lothian scheme in which some GPs will prescribe regular exercise and therapeutic reading for patients suffering from mild to moderate depression rather than pills.

Billy Watson, the chief executive of the Scottish Association of Mental Health (SAMH) said:

"We know that, in some areas, people with mental health problems can expect to face a waiting time in excess of one year for mental health services. This lengthy waiting time could explain the rise in anti-depressant prescribing in Scotland."

The Evening News revealed earlier this year that prescriptions had soared by 10,000 over the past decade. It is estimated that one in 12 people in the city received some form of anti-depressant medication in the past year.

Labour's city health spokeswoman Councillor Lesley Hinds said more had to be done to investigate alternative remedies. She said:

"Perhaps more discussion has to take place with GPs to see about trying other things, because as anyone who's been in the position will tell you, once you've been on anti-depressants for a few months it's extremely difficult to come off them."

Broomhouse woman Lorna Sinclair is testament to the power of exercise. The 37-year-old suffered post-natal depression after the birth of her second child, Robert. After seeking help from both a GP and a local charity, she managed to turn things around.

She said access to the city's gym and fitness facilities was crucial in helping people improve their mental health without solely depending on drugs. "Different things work for different people, but access to exercise can really help along the way," she said.