Antidepressant use in Belgium continues to rise, particularly among the youth, but is still more prevalent among the elderly, a study released on Monday by health insurance provider Mutualités Libres shows.
The number of persons taking antidepression medication grew by 8% between 2019 and 2023, according to the study, conducted among Mutualités Libres' 2.3 million members. This increase was most prominent in younger people. It went up by 43.6% among those aged 12-18, by 36.8% among 19-24 year-olds and by 17.1% among members between 25 and 39.
On the contrary, antidepressant use increased by 5.6% among members aged between 40-54 years, by 4,0% for those aged between 55-64 years, and by 2.7% in the 65- 80 age group. For those over 80 years of age, the increase drops to 1.8%.
Despite the increased use among younger Belgians, the consumption of antidepressants is most prevalent among older people, and diminishes with age. The consumption rate is up to 25.1% among people over 80, whereas it is 13.8% in the 40-54 age group, and less than 5% for those aged between 19 and 24 years.
It also varies between regions: 12% of Walloons are taking antidepressants, an increase of 7% in five years, while 9% of Flemings do so (+ 10%;) and 9% of people Brussels residents (+9%).
Mutualités Libres also noted a gender-based difference in consumption : seven out of every 100 men take antidepressants, compared to 13 women per 100.
“With a number of daily doses of antidepressants per 1,000 inhabitants exceeding 80, Belgium exceeds the European average by around 10%,” Mutualités Libres warned. It called for greater prevention, improved public information and an expansion of psychological support in care homes.
The health insurance provider also stressed that antidepressants should be used cautiously and be considered complementary to non-drug approaches.
