Antidepressant prescriptions jump by over one-third in Kildare

RTE Investigates programme has found the the rate of antidepressant prescribing for anxiety and depression in the Kildare and West Wicklow area is above the national average.

The report found that overall prescription levels in the public drug schemes increased by 28% from 2012 to 2017.

However Kildare and West Wicklow saw a 35.6% jump during that period from 23,159 to 31,418.

Data showed that Dublin South City (267) and Longford/Westmeath (265) had the highest annual average rate of patients on the public drug schemes being prescribed antidepressants between 2012 and 2017 while Co Clare had the lowest (134).

The findings are based on data obtained from the Health Service Executive's Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS), the body in the health service that processes drug payments.

In simple terms, it appears that more of us are now being prescribed larger doses of antidepressants as a solution to depression and anxiety.

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.

According to the programme, a survey has found that the share of Ireland's population with mental health and substance use disorders was 19% in 2016, the joint highest in the EU along with Finland.

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%.

Dr Harry Barry told RTÉ Investigates that we are not in the midst of a depression epidemic.

"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.

"I think what we often misdiagnose is general anxiety versus say mild to moderate depression."