Ana Matos Pires, who is part of the National Coordination for Mental Health Policies, made the comments following the release of data from Infarmed that show that in the first half of the year, 5,532,708 packages of antidepressants were sold, 8.2% more than same period of 2021, which represented a charge of around 22.2 million euros for the National Health Service (SNS).

Comparing the evolution of sales since the last year before the pandemic - 2019 -, it appears that the consumption of antidepressants has always been growing, according to data from the National Medicines Authority, regarding prescription and reimbursed medicines, dispensed in community pharmacies.

In 2019, 9,368,788 packages were sold, a number that rose to 9,803,223 in the following year and to 10,499,231 in 2021, with a charge this last year of around 41.7 million euros for the State, specify the data, released to Lusa on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, marked on October 10th.

For the psychiatrist, these data may "not be a bad indicator": "They could mean that we are diagnosing and treating severe depression more promptly", she stressed.

She further explained that antidepressants are not only used for the treatment of depression but also for many other illnesses such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, some anxiety pathology, panic disorders and pain treatment.