Medical Portal

The amount of antidepressant prescriptions in the Great Britain in 2006 has reached 31 millions. Such information was published in the research of the British public organization Mind engaged in problems of mental health.
The exact number of the British regularly taking antidepressants remains unknown; however, experts consider that there are a few millions of them.
The last generation antidepressants are the so-called selective inhibitors of the return serotonin capture. Despite of the efficiency of these drugs, it is not recommend to take them for treatment of slight forms of depression because of dangerous side-effects: first of all, the increased susceptibility to a suicide and dangerous behavior of patients.
According to Mind’s data, consumption of these drugs in the Great Britain has increased by 10 % in comparison with the last year. The general number of drug prescriptions has increased by 6 %.
In opinion of the researchers, the responsibility for a developed situation lays on doctors who too willingly prescribe drug therapy, and seldom use alternative methods, such as psychotherapy and physical exercises which are also effective in treatment of slight forms of depression.