One in three women have taken antidepressants
By Ian Birch
Alarming new research by women's group Platform 51 shows a third of girls and women have taken antidepressants and, of those currently using the drugs, nearly half have been taking them for five years or even longer.
The findings by Opinium LLP show a huge number of women use antidepressants for long periods without their medication being reviewed or being offered any alternatives to drugs.
One in four women have been on antidepressants for a decade and the same proportion have waited more than a year for a medication review, according to the research.
NICE guidelines say antidepressants alone should not be used as the only treatment for depression and that intensive talking therapies should be offered in conjunction or as an alternative.
Platform 51 says nearly 60% of women aren't offered any choice in which type of antidepressant they are prescribed. Nearly one in five women in the study kept their depression a secret from their family and 10% even kept it a secret from their partner.
Platform 51's director of policy, campaigns and communications, Rebecca Gill, said:
"These shocking figures reveal an escalating crisis in women's use of antidepressants. We know from working with women and girls in our centres that antidepressants have a role to play but they are too readily prescribed as the first and only remedy. Three in five women are offered no alternatives to drugs at their reviews and one in four currently on antidepressants have waited more than a year for review.
"Our research suggests that there is still a huge stigma attached to poor mental health. With some many women not telling their families, it is clear that women fear they will be judged on the state of their mental health."
