RTÉ Investigates has found that the rate of antidepressant prescribing among people on the public drug schemes increased by 28% from 2012 to 2017.
The data relates to the three main public drug schemes – the General Medical Services, the Drugs Payment Scheme, and the Long-Term Illness Scheme. Combined, those schemes covered close to 70% of the population from 2012-17. We also calculated the number of patients being prescribed antidepressants in each LHO, also expressed per 1,000 people on the combined drug schemes, per year.
Some of those areas have been economically depressed, which may, in part, explain the trends there. According to the 2016 Pobal HP deprivation index – a metric used to calculate social disadvantage by geographic area - Wexford was third most deprived LHO in the country, while South Tipperary was fourth,
Patient numbers Nationally, in 2012 there were 187 people on the public drug schemes who were prescribed antidepressants, which increased by 18% to 221 patients in 2017.The LHO with the highest number of patients was Dublin South City, on 267 patients, followed by Longford-Westmeath , and Dublin North Central . South Tipperary , Waterford and Carlow-Kilkenny were also among the highest in the country, according to this metric.
Separately, a Eurostat study carried out in 2014 found that Ireland had the highest share of its population who reported having chronic depression, at 12%. The EU average was 7%, while the rate in the UK was 9%."The incidence of depression in general over the last 20 to 30 to 40 years is probably pretty consistent, if we're talking about true genuine clinical depression where the person is really in trouble and in distress," he said.
Pharmacology for Depression works well ? Generalised statement. We are all individuals. Many of us have been seriously harmed by this fake GP pharm marketing. Many are also deceased because of it RTEInvestigates + Dr Harry Barry forgets to say he is pharm funded! 💶💰💊
Camellia_Alexan Yes. Now spend less time on your phone and more time outside. Quit reading this and go play.
Whatever excuse these doctors like Harry Barry want to make. On 💰💰💰💰💰💰 from drug companies. Wake up GPs. This is not 🍭🍬 !
Modern living
That is a really irresponsible and narrow simplification of people's distress.
More likely it’s the rise of the pharmaceutical lobbyists.
Blame smartphones. I'm sure the lack of decent jobs and affordable rent and the fact so many of us have to immigrate has nothing to do with it
I'd put housing - commuting - traffic - job insecurity - way before blaming phones and social media
Very poor reporting - on many levels. Both lazy and damaging.
Bigger problems that explain this: - over pathologising of everyday life - 118 psychologists deficit in CAMHS - severely underdeveloped primary care services - pharmacological lobbying - Trauma - Austerity - Homelessness
That’s the easiest question I’ve ever answered on twitter - No..!!
No
Why doesn't Dr Harry Barry declare his major conflict of interest before he speaks and the 10s of 1000s he gets from drug companies ? 💊💰💶💊💰💶💊💰💶💊💰💶💊 RTEInvestigates rtept TonightVMTV BrainwashedNation
rteinvestigates needs to prompt people into critical and reflective thought rather than ride the train of convention and conformity thought. Drug pricing and over regulation of access is the problem. Melatonin is OTC in the EU. €11/60 vs €100/60 in prescriptive Irl.
Or are more people talking about mental health these days and as a result are seeking medical care?
Maybe the yrs of austerity has more to do with it. Struggling to pay rent, food, clothes, heating & to educate children while surving either on or below the poverty line can have severe negative impact on not only physical but also mental health. Inequality is the problem.
Go on the big pharma, dig your claws nice and deep
How about people not being able to find or afford anywhere to live, not feeling optimistic about the future and the under 40s not being able to live the lives their parents could even after getting educated and doing all the right things?
Well said.
Phones, the easy touch to blame for everything 🙄
Want someone to blame? Try the thieves in suits, still walking in plain sight. They have stolen futures from families by alarmingly 'non criminal' greed, deception, mismanagement. Acronyms hold sway, BOI,AIB,EBS, PWC,KPMG,IBRC. Now take the medication that Simon gives.
Could be correlation not causation.