Cost of drug therapy for depression increasing in Canada

The cost of treating depression in Canada has increased exponentially over the past two decades, far outpacing the growth in population, and leaving health economists to ponder a number of possible reasons for the increase. According to a study conducted by investigators from the University of Toronto, the number of prescriptions written for antidepressants increased by 353% between 1981 and 2000, from 3.2 million per year to 14.5 million per year, while Canada's population increased by an average of only 1% per year. Treating depression cost the Canadian economy an estimated $Can543.4 million* in 2000 in wholesale drug costs alone. It is further estimated that 850 000 Canadians will visit psychologists and other mental health professionals, excluding physicians, each year, at an approximate cost of $Can125 per visit.