Published: 01:01 BST, 2 August 2026 | Updated: 17:11 BST, 6 August 2026
Almost nine million people in England – roughly one in six of the population – were prescribed an antidepressant last year.
The pills have long been hailed as life-changing treatments for depression and anxiety, helping to relieve symptoms by boosting the ‘feel good’ brain chemical serotonin.
But what was once more commonly a treatment measured in months is increasingly stretching far beyond that.
Around half of those prescribed antidepressants have been taking them for more than two years, official figures show, while one quarter – equivalent to around two million people – have used them for more than five years.
Many argue that is a good thing. Severe depression, which affects about one in 20 adults, is a serious illness, and some research has found long-term antidepressant use is a vital tool in reducing the risk of relapse and suicide.
The drugs can also be used to treat sleep problems, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain.
But the challenge for patients – and for the doctors handing out the medication – is a stark fact: little is known about the effects of staying on such drugs for years.
Some experts are now warning the benefits of extended antidepressant use are being overstated. And – more significantly – they point to studies that suggest they may be linked to serious side effects.
Almost nine million people in England – roughly one in six of the population – were prescribed an antidepressant last year
Those effects are wide-ranging, and include heart problems – including sudden cardiac death – weight gain, weakened bones and fractures, sexual dysfunction, type 2 diabetes, and even dementia and cognitive decline. A direct link between these conditions and antidepressants has not been definitively proven. But, increasingly, experts believe that the emerging evidence is enough to recommend that patients should not take the pills for any longer than is strictly necessary – and certainly not indefinitely.
One of them is Professor Joanna Moncrieff, a psychiatrist at University College London and a vocal critic of psychiatric medication. She has recently been involved in a study which reviewed the research on the side effects associated with the long-term use of antidepressants.
That study, which is yet to be published, focused on people taking the pills for more than a year and found a link to type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and falls and fractures in older people.
‘We certainly can’t say that long-term antidepressants are safe or harmless,’ Prof Moncrieff says, ‘because we have not done enough research to know that. The main finding of our review is that the evidence for effects of long-term antidepressant treatment is very poor.
‘There are few studies and they are mostly low quality. We haven’t investigated this issue properly, and that should be a cause for concern, especially since there are so many long-term users.