1.2 million Dutch people take antidepressants. That is more people than ever, according to current figures that EenVandaag has seen. “The medical model is applied too quickly, with the idea ‘a pill can fix this’.”
‘It must be due to corona’, experts said when it became known that the number of people taking antidepressants had increased considerably in 2021. The reasoning was that people would have become lonely and depressed due to the long isolation during the lockdowns.
Hard rise
But in 2022, when there were no more lockdowns, there were still 50,000 users of antidepressants. At more than 4 percent, this was an even faster increase than during the corona years.
The number of people using antidepressants has now reached 1.2 million, the Foundation for Pharmaceutical Key Figures reports. One today.
Complicated
“We apparently experience more pressure in all kinds of areas,” says psychiatrist and professor of innovation in mental health care, Floortje Scheepers.
“Our norms and values, how we think, feel and look at the world, and many other factors make the whole thing so complicated. The increased pressure from social media also plays a role.”
Antidepressants are not the answer
In any case, antidepressants are not the solution to this increased pressure, says Scheepers. “The medical model is applied too quickly, with the idea ‘a pill can fix this’.”
But that’s only treating the symptoms, she explains. “If you don’t address the underlying issues, a person can be on the drugs for a very long time without addressing the source of the depression.”
‘Started when I was 15’
A large group of young people under the age of 20 are also prescribed antidepressants, about 25,000 in total. One of them is Carmen, who has been taking antidepressants for 5 years.
“I started taking the medication when I was 15 years old. I had anorexia then and I urgently needed to gain weight again. But the moment my weight went up, I became very gloomy. The idea was to take away the gloom a bit, so that I should eat better.”
‘Very difficult to get rid of’
“The antidepressants worked for me, but I would have preferred to have had the right treatment that would have prevented me from using them,” says Carmen.
“I didn’t know about the risks of antidepressants at the time, but now I know it can be very, very difficult to come off.”
Use increased in all age groups
The use of antidepressants has increased in all age groups, GPs have also noticed. They prescribe about 85 percent of all antidepressants, both new and repeat prescriptions.
“Patients come to the consultation hour more often with depressive complaints,” agrees Nikki Claassen of the Dutch College of General Practitioners. “Nationally, we see that not only depressive complaints, but also other psychological complaints are increasingly common.”
‘Social crises’
“We notice in general practice that social problems play a major role. That was first the corona crisis, then the war in Ukraine and of course the climate problem.”
But personal problems related to debts or not being able to find a home also play a role, says Claassen. “These are often factors that contribute to the psychological complaints that people develop.”
‘You can’t take a picture of depression’
Psychiatrist Floortje Scheepers is concerned about the fact that so many antidepressants are prescribed by GPs: “A GP is often already very busy and only has a short time during consultation hours. That is difficult with such complex problems.”
Medication should really be a short-term solution, she believes. “Sufficient time and the right guidance are crucial factors in this.”
Dismantling complicated
“You cannot take a blood test or a picture of a depression,” Scheepers continues. “When is someone depressed, when is it depressed, and when is it clinical depression? That’s really hard to define.”
In addition, relatively little is known about antidepressants, she says, despite the fact that they have been prescribed for decades. “Antidepressants affect the serotonin balance in the brain, we know that. But we don’t understand why it works, that also makes the reduction such a complicated matter.”
Mopping with the tap open
GPs often have their backs against the wall, says Scheepers: “Because of the long waiting lists in mental health care, they have to do something to help patients on time. That is why GPs are increasingly deploying practice nurses who, with more time, can make a better analysis. can make.”
But it continues to mop up with the tap open with a problem that is much more structural than staff shortages and busyness in general practices. “If you want to solve the problem of the long waiting lists in mental health care and the increasing use of antidepressants, then you have to look at the front, at the foundation that is not right now. The answer cannot be ‘more medication for even more people ‘, but more help from a social network.”
‘Help in your own environment’
“Studies show that people sometimes don’t even need mental health care anymore if they can turn to other, low-threshold forms of assistance while waiting. For example, self-help groups, experience experts or simply in their own environment.”