NHS to recommend treatment ahead of antidepressants

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today show: ‘Some people prefer a quick fix (like tablets), but in the long run it is better for you to be able to deal with your emotions and depression than having to take medication. for that … especially if you suffer from mild depression.

Other interventions Nice suggested include Group Behavioral Activation (BA), which helps the person recognize negative patterns and focus on behaviors related to better mood.

An individual BA or CBT can also be offered alongside mindfulness or group meditation, group exercises and counseling.

Nice said people might be offered a “menu” of treatments to choose from as part of a discussion of what may be contributing to their depression and the person’s experience with poor mental health and depression. previous treatment.

He said the new draft guideline is the first in 12 years to identify, treat and manage depression in adults.

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A similar range of psychological interventions, as well as the option of antidepressant medication, is available for those choosing first-line treatment for more severe depression.

Dr Paul Chrisp, director of the Nice Guidance Center, said: “People with depression deserve and expect the best treatment from the NHS, which is why this guideline is urgently needed.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us the impact of depression on the mental health of the country.

“People with depression need these recommendations from the evidence-based guidelines available to the NHS, without delay. “

The guidelines also tell physicians to discuss mental health wait lists with patients and how long they may need to wait for treatment.

Nav Kapur, Professor of Psychiatry and Population Health at the University of Manchester and Chairman of the Guidelines Committee, said: “As a committee we have come up with recommendations which we hope will have a real impact. on people with depression and their caregivers. .

“In particular, we have emphasized the role of patient choice – suggesting that practitioners should offer people an evidence-based treatment choice and understand that not all treatments are right for everyone.”

The directive also says doctors should discuss what happens if people want to stop taking antidepressants, including that withdrawal can take weeks or months.

Figures from the NHS Business Services Authority show more than 20 million antidepressants were prescribed between October and December 2020, a 6% increase from the same three-month period in 2019.

The use of antidepressants has been steadily increasing since 2015.

A study published in September in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people who continue to take antidepressants long-term are less likely to relapse than those who give up.

The experts behind the research said it supported the current prescription and dismissed the idea that people taking long-term antidepressants are taking them unnecessarily.

They also found that if people are given the right support, many can get rid of drugs safely.

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