Suicides linked to antidepressants soar 25% since pandemic

Suicides involving antidepressants have risen by 25 per cent since the pandemic, with women now more likely than men to take their own lives using the drugs.

Official figures show 226 people in England died by antidepressant poisoning in 2024 - the highest since records began - up from 185 in 2019.

The warning comes as antidepressant use reaches record levels. Around 15 per cent of adults in England patients received a prescription of the drug last year - the equivalent of 8.7 million people, a 2.1% increase from the previous year.

Figures show around two million people in England have been taking antidepressants for five years or more. Prescriptions to young people have also risen, with a more than 8% increase in 10-14 year-olds and 15-19 year-olds between 2020/21 and 2021/22.

The figures follow a coroner's warning after the death of financier Thomas Kingston, 45, husband of Lady Gabriella Kingston, who took his own life in February after "adverse effects" from medication. The coroner said the antidepressant could cause further deaths without tougher warnings.

Mental health charities have warned that while antidepressants can be life-saving for many, the rapid growth in prescribing may point to deeper systemic issues including long waiting lists for therapy and a lack of holistic mental health support.

A recent study by Kings College London and the University of Oxford has, for the first time in history, ranked the side effects of antidepressants, revealing huge differences between drugs.

Physical side effect differences included significant weight loss or gain, the slowing or speeding up of heart rates and differences in blood pressure.

Experts are urging more investment in talking therapies and holistic care.

Zaheen Ahmed, Therapy Director at The drug rehabilitation group UKAT, said: "Every single number represents a person who felt they had no way out. The rise in antidepressant-related suicides is not a failure of individuals, but a failure of a system that too often relies on medication as the first and last line of defence."

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