The use of anti-depressants and drugs to combat anxiety has risen by more than a quarter since the start of the financial crisis in 2007, a study has found.
Number of users just the tip of the iceberg
Experts described the rise as "worrying" and said those on medication represented just "the tip of the iceberg".
The number of drugs dispensed in England last year was 26 per cent higher in the financial year 2010-11 than it was in 2007-08, according to the NHS figures.
The actual numbers of items dispensed has grown from 39.5 million to 49.8 million items prescribed - or about one for every man, woman and child in England.
The result of financial crisis
Mental health charities believe job losses, loss of job security, and the increasingly difficult task of simply making ends meet at a time of price rises and static wages, have led to more and more people resorting to prescription drugs to help them cope with day-to-day life.
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