Joan Freeman (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last year €10 million was spent on counselling and talk therapy in comparison with €400 million spent on anti-depressants. We have seen a significant increase in the use of anti-depressants in this country, with one in ten people being prescribed them, not necessarily because they are depressed but because 80% of general practitioners who are the first stop in terms of primary care, have not been trained in mental health. Those who are trained received only six months' training. The easiest and cheapest solution to reduce queues is to prescribe anti-depressants. There has been a 500% increase in the prescription of anti-depressants to 18 year olds, which is harrowing. What does this say about our country?

There was an interesting article in yesterdays Daily Mail by a Dr. Max Pemberton which posed the question of whether as a society we are getting more depressed. In theory, we are not. Owing to poor primary care, doctors feel they can do nothing else but prescribe medication. There are people who need medication but the reality is that medication comes with serious effects and we should not be dishing it out unless for a clear clinical need.

For example, everybody will have heard of the anti-depressant, Prozac. Many countries will not prescribe Prozac to under 18s, but it is prescribed to under 18 year olds here even though one of its side effects is suicidal ideation. We need a proper mental health service alongside a proper primary care service, which should comprise a mental health advocate who will help people who might have mental health issues. Being upset, sad, grieving or unhappy when one does not do well in the leaving certificate examination have become mental health issues. They are not mental health issues. We need to monitor the prescribing of anti-depressants, to bring about a reduction in their use and to ensure they are not being prescribed to people suffering anxiety and other conditions that can be addressed by way of talk therapy.