Lord Markham, the Department of Health and Social Care, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL2972):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government how many antidepressant prescriptions were issued to patients under the age of 25 in each year since 2014. (HL2972)
Tabled on: 04 March 2024
This question was grouped with the following question(s) for answer:
- To ask His Majesty’s Government how many antidepressant prescriptions were issued to patients under the age of 18 in each year since 2014. (HL2971)
Tabled on: 04 March 2024
Answer:
Lord Markham:
Many medicines, including medicines used to treat depression, are licensed and prescribed for other conditions. The Department expects prescribers to always satisfy themselves that the medicines they consider appropriate for their patients can be safely prescribed.
The following table shows the number of patients aged under 18 and 25 years old, who were prescribed antidepressants, each year from 2015 to 2023:
| Year | Antidepressants prescribed to people under 18 years old | Antidepressants prescribed to people under 25 years old |
| 2015/16 | 312,113 | 2,477,798 |
| 2016/17 | 332,706 | 2,759,953 |
| 2017/18 | 346,126 | 2,910,607 |
| 2018/19 | 367,850 | 3,202,784 |
| 2019/20 | 393,762 | 3,525,602 |
| 2020/21 | 406,391 | 3,890,347 |
| 2021/22 | 437,365 | 4,170,154 |
| 2022/23 | 448,515 | 4,119,463 |
Source: NHS Business Services Authority
Notes:
- This is based on the information within the published statistics for medicines used in mental health, that uses British National Formulary section 0403 for antidepressant drugs, prescribed in England and dispensed in the community in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands.
- Prescriptions do not state the purpose for which they are written, so there may be instances where medicines are used for other conditions.
Date and time of answer: 25 Mar 2024 at 12:08.
