Antidepressants: two million taking them for 5 years or more

More than a quarter of patients on antidepressants in England – about two million people – have been taking them for five years, the BBC has found.

More than eight million people in England are on antidepressants, which is over 12% of the population. They are prescribed for depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and other conditions. Depression is the largest single cause of disability.

A quarter of those 8 million, have been on them for five years. This is despite there being limited evidence of the benefits of taking the drugs for that length of time.

That’s one million more people than five years previously, NHS prescribing figures show.

A doctor who runs an NHS clinic helping people off the pills says withdrawal symptoms can make it hard for some to stop taking their medication.

Withdrawal guidance was updated in 2019, but he says little has changed.

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