Happy pills popping doubles in a decade

A new study into anti-depressant prescribing has revealed a North-South divide.

It also shows prescription rates for anti-depressants have almost doubled over the last decade, and only nine of 152 areas put under the spotlight saw a cut in the number dished out.

Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale came 28th in a league table of 152 primary care trust areas — with those at the top issuing the most prescriptions.

The study, carried out by the Mental Health Foundation, analysed the latest NHS figures, and discovered that 22 of the highest prescribing areas were in the North, while 23 of the lowest 25 prescribers were in the London area.

Prescribing rates also vary significantly with the highest ranking PCT, Blackpool, prescribing at more than three times the rate of the lowest, Kensington and Chelsea. In the three month period, July to September 2008, in Blackpool, 295 prescriptions were issued for every 1,000 people in the area, while in Kensington and Chelsea the rate was 85 prescriptions per 1,000.

In Rochdale, 222 prescriptions were issued for every 1,000 people, and the number of items prescribed increased by 2.1%, from 44,826 between April and June 2008, to 45,750 over the following three months.

Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said he hoped the findings would prompt further investigation by primary care trusts, and people should be offered a range of treatment options for depression and other common mental health problems besides anti-depressants.