About this episode

The episode discusses the rising mental distress in society and the implications of antidepressant prescriptions amidst social and cultural factors.

A record one in seven people in England were prescribed antidepressants in the last year, according to NHS figures. More than nine million patients now take the drugs, and while they may be essential in many cases, the prevalence of mental ill-health – stress, anxiety, burnout – is a moral issue as well as a medical one. Why are more people, including under-18s, presenting to their GP with these conditions, and what should we do about it? Many clinicians believe anti-depressants serve an important function, including in milder cases, particularly where access to talking therapies is limited. This, they say, is both a practical and compassionate response to suffering, and a respect for patient autonomy. However, there is disagreement among psychiatrists, some of whom argue that everyday stress is being patholigised. They see drugs as morally hazardous in certain cases, since they alter mental sates, blunt emotions and create dependence on the drugs themselves, reducing people’s long-term capacity to cope. Beyond the clinical response, there are deeper questions to consider about our society and culture. NHS figures suggest patients in the most deprived areas were prescribed…

Topics covered

• mental health
• antidepressants
• social responsibility
• inequality
• stress
• anxiety
• burnout

Keywords

• mental distress
• antidepressants
• NHS
• mental health
• social harm
• inequality
• stress
• anxiety
• burnout

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NHS

Places: England

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