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News from the NOS•today, 21:33
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The use of antidepressants increased significantly among young women at the time of the crown. The increase began in early 2021 (in the second lockdown) and continued earlier this year, it turns out from research of Nivel knowledge center care. The question is why this group has started using more antidepressants.
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Michelle Regnault (25) had been suffering from mental disorders for several years due to a nervous breakdown at the age of nineteen. For example, she suffers from anxiety and panic disorder and she is afraid of contamination; complaints that got worse in corona time. “I’m afraid of the supermarket and it was very difficult in crown time. Besides, I lived alone, so I didn’t see anyone. That’s how you isolate yourself.”
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Regnault previously used an antidepressant, but was unsuccessful at the time. Eighteen months ago, she was prescribed medication again at his request. “I also suffer from irritable bowel syndrome and antidepressants can help us. That was the deciding factor for me to try again.”
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Anna Vrind (18) was also positive about starting antidepressants. She has been taking the drugs since November last year. “I have been mentally ill for a long time. I have ADHD, irritable bowel syndrome and migraines; then many things don’t go well together and consequently my mental health has continued to deteriorate. I had a depressive episode that lasted two years.”
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Vrind is still taking antidepressants and notices many improvements. “It took a while, I had side effects like headaches and stomach pains for the first few months. But after a while my mood got a lot better. I became more and more eager to get things done.”
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At Regnault, drugs have also proved effective. “Against irritable bowel syndrome and my mental disorders. I was also in therapy and tried to do a lot of activities, even though it was crown time. This definitely helped.”
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Nivel concludes that primary care physicians prescribe nearly 20 percent more anxiety and depression medications to young women than two years ago. It concerns girls and women between the ages of 15 and 24. The increase was 11% less for boys and men in that age group.
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Nivel suspects that women suffered more from lack of social contact during the crown period than men, and that women are more likely to go to the doctor for psychological problems. However, the institute has not conducted any research on the matter. In general, Nivel says young people “seem to be hit hard by lockdowns”.
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“I think girls are a little more mindful of mental disorders and do something about it faster,” says Vrind. “Fewer men may have sought help,” Regnault said.
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phasing out
Both women say they don’t want to stop taking antidepressants. “Maybe I’ll go back a little bit in the dosage someday, but I’d like to keep using it, especially for my gut. It makes my life more livable,” Regnault says.
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Vrind: “I don’t want to taper off for now. I’d rather take a pill every day for the rest of my life than feel such a cunt every day.”
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