Antidepressant Use Rose After Brexit Vote, Data Shows

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Antidepressant use rose after Brexit vote, data shows

Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Nov, 2018 ) :Antidepressant use in England rose significantly compared to other prescription drugs in the wake of Britain's decision in 2016 to exit the European Union, according to new research released on Wednesday.

Debate over the merits of Brexit has dominated Britain's political discourse for more than two years, split families and communities and prompted panicked contingency plans from businesses in the event of a "no deal" with Brussels.

But relatively little attention has been paid to the impact Brexit -- and the long-running uncertainty that's dogged the process -- has had on the population's mental health.

Researchers at King's College London looked at official monthly prescribing data for antidepressants for all 326 voting districts in England, comparing it with other classes of drugs in the run up to the June 23, 2016 referendum and the weeks that followed.

Given that the Brexit result came as a surprise that ushered in "considerable uncertainty" over its effect on Britain's economy and society, the study authors wanted to see if that translated to greater antidepressant use.

After calculating a "defined daily dose" to ensure they could compare different types of drugs fairly, they found that after the vote the volume of antidepressants prescribed increased 13.4 percent relative to the other medicines studied.

"This shows that relative antidepressant prescribing increased in England after the Brexit referendum, compared with other drug classes that were used as a control group," Sotiris Vandoros, senior lecturer in health economics at King's College London and adjunct professor at Harvard University, told AFP.

Although it was difficult to definitively tie the vote result to the rise in antidepressant use, Vandoros said the fact that the increase was relative to other forms of prescription drug was significant.

"A growing body of literature suggests that economic uncertainty can have negative effects on mental health," he said.

"Job insecurity and worries about one's future finances are associated with poorer health outcomes. Any event that triggers uncertainty and worries can have a negative effect."