More children from poor families on anti-depressants

More children from poor families on anti-depressants

Proportionately more children from poor families are on anti-depressants than those from well-off families in Belgium, according to a study by Flemish health insurance companies. 

Health insurers looked at medical data from 2017 regarding half a million children from a range of social classes. 

One in 200 children from well-off families were on anti-depressants or anti-psychosis medicine in 2017. The figure rose to one in 100 for children from poorer families who require finance assistance for medical treatment. 

Children from poorer families also end up in psychiatric hospitals more often. 

The figures cannot prove if poorer children really do have psychiatric problems more frequently. It could be that some families are more likely to turn to medication or do not have the means to pay for their child to see a psychiatrist.  

The Brussels Times


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