Record numbers on anti-depressants
Updated on 14 May 2007
The number of prescriptions for anti-depressants has hit an all-time high, a mental health charity has said.
More than 31 million were written last year - up 6% on the year before, according to Mind.
Statistics show that within this figure, prescriptions for SSRIs (Serotonin Specific Reuptake Inhibitors) including Prozac have risen by 10% from 14.7 million to 16.2 million in England.
It comes as the charity released research showing that country walks can help reduce depression and raise self-esteem.
This has led to calls for "ecotherapy" to become a recognised treatment for people with mental health problems.
Ecotherapy: the green agenda for mental health, is the first study looking at how "green" exercise specifically affects those suffering from depression.
According to Mind, it produced "startling" results proving the need for ecotherapy to be considered a proper treatment option.
The study by the University of Essex compared the benefits of a 30-minute walk in a country park with a walk in an indoor shopping centre on a group of 20 members of local Mind associations.
After the country walk, 71% reported decreased levels of depression and said they felt less tense while 90% reported increased self-esteem.
This was in contrast to only 45% who experienced a decrease in depression after the shopping centre walk, after which 22% said they actually felt more depressed.
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