HSE prescriptions for antidepressant and anxiety medications rose in Ireland by almost two thirds over a 10-year period, according to new statistics.
This article by Stephen Mcdermott, appeared on the Journal.ie, 1/08/18.
Figures seen by TheJournal.ie show that between 2009 and 2017, prescription for eight antidepressants available from the HSE increased by 64%.
The medications include the Select Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) Fluoxetine, italopram, Paroxetine, Sertraline, Fluvoxamine, Escitalopram, and the Serotonin- Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) Duloxetine, and Venlafaxine.
None of the drugs are addictive, and those who abuse them do not experience the same cravings that other drugs cause.
Some experts say the huge increase in the rate of prescriptions shows a greater willingness among Irish people to present to medical professionals about their mental health.
However, others warn that the figures show the dominance of a medicine-based approach to mental illness, and have called on the Government to make other kinds of treatment more readily available.
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