DR MARTIN SCURR: Why this apparent ‘epidemic’ of depression is so worrying
Writing in the Daily Mail, GP columnist Dr Martin Scurr responds to new figures showing that as many as one in seven people in England are now taking antidepressants, a sharp rise he says he has witnessed first-hand since starting out as a doctor. He argues this apparent "epidemic" of depression is concerning for two reasons: the medications themselves carry real risks and side-effects, and many people may be prescribed drugs for problems that are not clinical depression at all but normal reactions to difficult circumstances and sadness.
Scurr acknowledges antidepressants are lifesaving for those in severe mental crisis, since untreated depression can lead to catastrophic outcomes including suicide, but notes the drugs can cause brain fog, sexual dysfunction, and are hard to stop taking, with a small number of patients developing suicidal thoughts when starting or adjusting them. He contends that talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) would better serve many patients with mild to moderate depression, but a shortage of trained therapists and reduced GP continuity of care mean doctors increasingly resort to prescriptions, often after only a phone or online consultation, a trend he fears will persist.
- One in seven in England now take antidepressants, new figures show
- GP columnist warns drugs are being over-prescribed for non-clinical sadness
- He calls for wider access to CBT instead of quick prescriptions
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Doctors in England have been prescribing antidepressants to a growing share of the population, with recent figures suggesting around one in seven people are now taking them. This rise has prompted debate among doctors and commentators about whether it reflects a genuine increase in depression, wider recognition of a condition once under-treated, or over-prescribing for milder distress.
Antidepressants work by altering brain chemistry and are generally considered effective for moderate to severe depression, though they can carry side-effects and some people find them difficult to stop taking. An alternative approach, talking therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy, is often recommended for milder cases, but access to trained therapists through the NHS has long been limited, and many patients now see GPs briefly or remotely rather than building an ongoing relationship with one doctor.
This matters because prescribing decisions affect millions of people's daily lives and long-term health, and because the debate touches on wider questions about NHS resources, how mental health conditions are diagnosed, and how doctors distinguish clinical depression from everyday sadness or difficult life circumstances.