America is often referred to as the most depressed or drugged nation, but this may be inaccurate.
Figures for global per capita consumption of antidepressants suggest that Iceland has the largest proportion of citizens taking these medications.
Figures compiled by Our world in data analyzed the number of prescriptions dispensed in 22 countries, broken down by rates per 1,000 people.
Using data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Iceland tops the list, with 161.1 per 1,000 people, the equivalent of one in six people.
Iceland had the highest rate of antidepressant prescriptions, at 161 per 1,000 people. Meanwhile, South Korea comes in last with 27 per 1,000.
The two main classes of antidepressants are tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs tend to be more common
The country – which experiences notoriously long and dark winters – has fewer than 400,000 inhabitants.
Portugal and Canada followed closely, with 139 and 130 scenarios per 1,000 inhabitants respectively.
The United States has a rate of 110 per 1,000 people, placing it fifth.
The UK follows closely in seventh place, with 108 prescriptions per 1,000 Britons.
Meanwhile, South Korea ranks last, with 27 prescriptions per 1,000 people, a country where depression and therapy are widely considered taboo.
The findings come as one in three Americans report suffering from clinical depression at some point, and one in five currently suffer from the disorder.
The two main classes of antidepressants are tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Tricyclic antidepressants are an older class of medications that are prescribed less often due to more intense side effects, including insomnia, bedwetting, and chronic pain such as fibromyalgia.
These work by increasing levels of the mood-enhancing hormones norepinephrine and serotonin.
Some examples of tricyclics approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), and protriptyline (Vivactil).
SSRIs are more common and include medications like citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft).
These act by preventing the reabsorption of serotonin by neurons.
The United States is not included in the OECD rankings, although CDC estimates place it in fifth place.
The percentage of adults who reported having been diagnosed with depression in their lifetime
Iceland has the highest rate of antidepressant consumption, according to the OECD, with 161.1 scripts per 1,000 inhabitants.
However, experts believe that this is not due to dark, cold winters and early sunsets, but rather to the low price of medicines.
In 2023, the World Happiness Report ranked Iceland as the third happiest country in the world behind Finland and Denmark.
The report reveals that he has the highest sense of social support and the second highest generosity score.
Additionally, Al Jazeera estimates that medicine prices in Iceland are seven times cheaper than therapies, which could explain why so many residents take them.
Although the United States is not included in the OECD rankings, the CDC estimates that 110 out of every 1,000 Americans take antidepressants, or about 11 percent.
The agency also noted that these drugs are more common among women, 18 percent of whom have taken them in the past 30 days, compared to 8 percent of men.
In a report released last year, the CDC found that up to a third of Americans suffer from depression, with West Virginia counties hardest hit.
Researchers believe depression is higher in West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Washington counties due to the prevalence of other chronic illnesses, such as diabetesand other social factors, including poverty.
West Virginia and Kentucky have the highest obesity rates in the country. West Virginia is also one of the poorest states in the country.
“There was considerable geographic variation in the prevalence of depression, with the highest state- and county-level depression estimates observed in the Appalachian and southern Mississippi Valley regions,” the researchers wrote in the report.
Additionally, a CDC report released last month found that 37.9 million Americans were living alone in 2022, an increase of 4.8 million – 15% – from 2012 figures.
The study also reveals that the proportion of the adult population living in single-person households has doubled since the 1960s, from 13 percent to more than 29 percent.
The report warns there is an “increased risk of mental health problems” for those who live alone – adding that people living alone are 64% more likely to have symptoms of depression than those living with others.
Researchers also said these rates could be behind feelings of hopelessness and high rates of mental health problems in the United States.
The UK ranks two places behind the US, with 108 prescriptions per 1,000 people.
NHS data suggests eight million patients across England are prescribed these drugs for problems such as depression and anxiety.
However, a 2023 agency report also notes that one in four of them – or about two million – have been taking these drugs for at least five years.
And England also distributed around 1 million antidepressant prescriptions to adolescents in 2022, according to NHS data.
South Korea comes at the bottom of the list with 27 prescriptions per 1,000 people.
Researchers in a European Journal of Public Health The study attributes this low rate to the fact that the drugs are not available in all parts of the country.
Another study found that South Koreans are more likely to view depression as a sign of weakness.