The countries whose residents are most often prescribed antidepressants are named

Researchers from Chunnan University in South Korea found that residents of Iceland, Canada and Portugal receive the most prescriptions for antidepressants in the world. The study results were published in the European Journal of Public Health (EJPH).

Scientists analyzed the number of prescriptions for antidepressants in 22 countries using data from health systems. Particular attention was paid to two main classes of drugs – tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

The study found that the largest number of antidepressant prescriptions are written in Iceland. Experts believe that this is due not so much to cold weather and lack of sunlight as to the availability and low cost of drugs. Canada and Portugal were also among the countries with high rates of antidepressant prescriptions. The US and UK ranked fifth and seventh respectively.

In South Korea, the number of prescriptions for antidepressants was the lowest. According to the study, for every thousand people in this country, only 27 people receive medication for depression. Scientists suggest that this is due to the fact that the topic of mental disorders is taboo, and people are reluctant to seek help.