Around 2 million Britons take anti-depressant drugs including Prozac, Seroxat and Efexor. These drugs have, for some time, been linked to a host of side effects including suicide and suicidal thoughts. New research by Professor Irving Kirsch at the University of Hull shows that, apart from the most extreme cases of depression, the drugs are little more effective than placebos in improving mental health.
A spokesman for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence said routine use of anti-depressants is not recommended for mild depression. Why then, when there are so many other ways of helping depression without the use of drugs, have so many Brits been prescribed these tablets?
Warning: if you are already on medication do not stop using it without consulting your doctor first.