The Institute for Farmaco-Epidemiology Belgium (IFEB), is reporting that sales of antidepressants in Belgium have seen an astronomical 35 percent rise in the past 10 years. According to the information released, 314 million day dosages was purchased last year- reported by VRT’s radio news programme ‘De Wereld Vandaag’.
Despite a series of campaigns to discourage the use of antidepressants, the use of antidepressants have instead seen an increase. However, experts say that doctors and psychologists are prescribing the pills too easily, while not enough efforts are being done to help long-term users step out.
Stijn Vanheule of the Ghent University UGent, lamented ” Patients also have to realize that taking the pills is not always the best solution. In some cases, antidepressants are a good solution for patients with heavy problems, but not for everybody”.
The Health Minister Maggie De Block has promised to discuss how prescribers can be convinced to change their habits.
BaretaNews cannot say as of now, what has caused an increase in the use of antidepressants. Belgians are naturally very hard-working people. They bother a lot about the future and the need to get a house-this could be some of the factors.
God is still saying something.
