- The most recent OECD report places Iceland as the world leader in the consumption of antidepressants.
- While Costa Rica, Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary, South Korea and Latvia are the countries with the lowest levels.
- This type of drug saw a significant increase in its consumption from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Medicines are one of the most important inventions of the modern era. Its main function is to cure a certain disease or at least help in the recovery of the patient. Every year millions are sold around the world but within the wide range that exist antidepressants have seen a significant increase in their consumption.
This situation has become evident since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mental health was one of the most affected areas and caused millions of people to look for an alternative. The concern caused by the world situation led to an increase in the demand for this type of drug.
What are antidepressants?
Is about psychotropic medications used to treat depression. They are also used for various psychological disorders, certain eating disorders and impulse control disorders.
They are usually divided into three classes: monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclics, and second-generation, currently highly prescribed in psychiatry due to the smaller amount and probability of suffering side effects. For the treatment of other pathologies, such as insomnia or neuropathic pain, the doses are significantly lower than those used to treat clinical depression.
Now, according to data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the consumption of prescription drugs to treat depression has seen a remarkable change between 2015 and 2021.
Countries with the highest and lowest consumption of antidepressants
As part of this analysis, in 2015 consumption in Spain amounted to 73 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants. While in 2021 it was 92. The information was replicated by Statistical and the most striking thing is that this trend is repeated in much of the world.
For its part, Iceland maintains one of the highest levels of antidepressant use in the world, with an average consumption of 161 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants in 2021. While Portugal, Canada and Sweden also present a proportion greater than 100 doses for every 1,000 people per day.
The places with the lowest levels of consumption in 2021 and 2020 of those analyzed by the OECD are Costa Rica, Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary, South Korea and Latvia, with daily doses of this type of drug less than 40 per 1,000 inhabitants .
Meanwhile we share a graph prepared by the Saludiario team about the increase in global dependence on antidepressants.
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