Globally, antidepressant usage has been on the rise. As of 2023, among select Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, Iceland, Portugal, and the UK were the biggest consumers of antidepressants. At that time, people in Iceland consumed antidepressants at a rate of about *** defined daily doses (DDD) per 1,000 people. Mental health globally Mental health disorders affect a significant proportion of the population, though addressing and understanding the prevalence of mental health is difficult due to regional differences in diagnostic criteria and understandings of mental health. Despite barriers to gathering data on mental health, there have been some global quantitative studies to help better understand certain conditions. It is suggested that mental health is among the top three health concerns among adults worldwide. Estimates propose that about ** percent of the overall population suffers from some mental health or substance use disorder. Depression and anxiety A global survey showed that the largest numbers of people with anxiety resided in locations in South-East Asia and the Americas. However, the highest distribution of cases of depression globally is among populations in South-East Asia and the Western Pacific. Both depression and anxiety disproportionately impact women in all regions of the world.

This statistic displays the leading ten antidepressant drugs dispensed in England, in 2024, by number of prescription items. In that year, there were over 24 million items of the antidepressant sertraline hydrochloride dispensed.

In Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Italy, over **** of respondents to a survey in 2022 reported to be experiencing stress. Furthermore, close to ******* of respondents in most surveyed countries reported suffering from depression. Feelings of anxiety were highest in Germany, at **** percent. Depression in Europe Depression can affect anyone, however, there are some demographics that are more at risk. Typically, younger individuals have a higher risk of suffering from depression, as well as women and people with financial difficulties. Poland, followed by Greece and Cyprus, were the European countries with the highest share of adults at risk of depression in the EU in 2022. Direct costs of depression The direct costs of depression include the cost of medicines and medical professionals. The spending on antidepressant drugs varies greatly across European countries. Germany, the country with the largest population in Europe, sustained the highest spending in 2020 compared to other European countries, with *** million U.S. dollars.