Antidepressants - UK Statistics | Smart TMS, London

Use of antidepressants is at an all-time high in the UK and is continuing to rise.

Since 2008, prescriptions have risen by 8.5% per annum.

Antidepressant medication is designed to help sufferers of major depression and can be effective, although there are a series of risks and side-effects to note. There is less evidence that antidepressants are the best treatment for generalised anxiety or mild depression, although the numbers of prescriptions are rising nonetheless.

UK Antidepressants Statistics

• Antidepressants cost the NHS £780,000 per day
• Antidepressants show greatest increase in number of prescription items dispensed in the UK
• The number of antidepressant^s items prescribed and dispensed in England has more than doubled in the last decade
• In 2015, there were 61.0 million antidepressant items prescribed – 107.6% more than in 2005 and 6.8% more than in 2014
• 54% increase in the number of children prescribed antidepressants in the UK  2005-2012

Sources: Health and Social Care Information Centre, World Health Organization, NHS Choices

Medication-Free Depression Treatment

Depression treatment doesn’t have to mean anti-depressants or tranquillisers. These are costly medications with a series of potential side-effects.

rTMS (Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) is an alternative treatment which uses uses magnetic waves working directly on specific areas of the brain.

The treatment has now been approved by NICE as an effective and safe method of treating depression in the UK.

Smart TMS Clinics

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a technological breakthrough in the treatment of depression. The treatment is now available in London, based at The Smart Clinics Brompton Cross (South Kensington).

Contact Us

For any queries or to book an appointment, please contact us: