Antidepressant use rises to record level

Antidepressant use has reached record levels in England with doctors writing 6% more prescriptions than in the previous year.

Around 31 million prescriptions for antidepressant drugs were handed out despite guidance indicating alternative therapies.

One charity group, Mind, has advocated a new "green agenda" for mental health suggesting that a walk in the countryside could help dispel depressive feelings.

According to recent research: 71% reported depression decreased after a green walk, whereas 22% reported that depression increased after an urban walk.

Mind called for "ecotherapy" to be recognised as a clinically-valid frontline treatment for mental health problems.

Ecotherapy involves getting outdoors and getting active in a green environment as a way of boosting mental wellbeing. Whether it's taking regular walks in the park, flying a kite or participating in a gardening therapy project, green exercise is proven to have huge benefits for mental health.

Mind Chief Executive Paul Farmer said: "Mind sees ecotherapy as an important part of the future for mental health. It's a credible, clinically-valid treatment option and needs to be prescribed by GPs, especially when for many people access to treatments other than antidepressants is extremely limited. We're not saying that ecotherapy can replace drugs but that the debate needs to be broadened.

"Hundreds of people have benefited from the green projects run by our local Mind associations but if prescribing ecotherapy was part of mainstream practice it could potentially help the millions of people across the country who are affected by mental distress."

The prescription of care farms as a treatment for mental distress has been highly successful on the continent but the UK is lagging far behind Europe – there are only 43 care farms in the UK, none of which are directed at mental health, compared to 600 in the Netherlands and 400 in Norway.

(SP/JM)