Dr Chris: One million people on antidepressants they don't need

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Official figures for England also reveal a 15 percent increase in the medicine being issued to under-18s between 2016 and 2019, from 329,954 to 379,134. In the first 11 months of last year, 358,835 antidepressant items were dispensed in the community to youngsters, suggesting more growth. This does not include hospitals and specialist services. The total bill over a five-year period to this group was £9million. The data, provided in a parliamentary written answer by health minister Lord Bethell, also shows an annual rise in the drugs for children aged five to 11. This grew almost 12 percent from 12,988 in 2016 to 14,529 in 2019.

In the period to November 14,187 items were dispensed to this age group – an upward trend.

A separate parliamentary answer also revealed the overall number of antidepressants dispensed in the community has soared by 60 percent over the last decade at a total cost of £2.5billion.

Items had risen from 46,677,813 in 2011 to 74,814,619 in 2019, not including specialist care.

Over the first 11 months of last year, the figure in England stood at 71,801,824. The figures were given in response to questions by crossbencher Lord Alton of Liverpool. The ex-MP said: “This is the drugs problem we talk too little about.

“The vast numbers – now around 70 million prescriptions for antidepressants every year – and the escalating phenomenal cost to the NHS tell their own story.

“The UK is awash with antidepressant drugs costing a staggering £2.5billion over the past 10 years, including thousands prescribed to children aged five to 11.”

He said the ministers needed “to give much greater thought as to why so many people have become dependent”.

Lord Alton added: “If the overuse of antibiotics is creating cause for concern, should we not also be exercised by the overuse of antidepressants and our failure to address toxic loneliness, unhappiness, depression and isolation?”

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