64,611 island residents received antidepressants through the GeSI system during 2023. This is 7% of the population of the government-controlled territories of the Republic of Cyprus.
In 2019, the number of people taking antidepressants did not exceed 33 thousand. In 2020, it was already 50,461 people. This is due to the fact that antidepressants became available through GeSI in March 2020.
Psychiatrist Giorgos Mikellidis is confident that the indicated 7% of the population is not representative statistics. “Based on international literature and estimates published by international organizations, we believe that the number of patients who suffer from some form of depression and require therapy is greater than current rates,” he says.
Medication treatment was made easier, but this did not mean that the stigma of mental illness disappeared in Cypriot society. Many residents are still afraid to contact a specialist.
According to the doctor, the increase in stress, the ever-accelerating pace of life, and the unpleasant changes brought to life by the coronavirus pandemic have prompted many people to seek help.
“The apparent increase in the number of patients experiencing mental health problems since the introduction of GeSI does not necessarily mean that more people are now developing mental illness. Rather, the increase is due to increased awareness, decreased stigma, and improved access to mental health services. However, we cannot lose sight of the fact that easier access may also mean easier prescribing of antidepressants to people who do not need them and could manage the problem without medication,” says the psychiatrist.
Dr. Mikellidis lists the following signs of depression:
– inability to perform your daily responsibilities productively, – feelings of sadness and anxiety, – decreased interest in things that previously gave you pleasure, – eating disorders (weight loss or vice versa, uncontrolled food consumption), – sleep problems, – general fatigue, slowness movements, speech and mental activity - thoughts about death, suicide and the fact that you are not worthy to continue living.
If symptoms persist daily for at least two weeks, this is a reason to consult a specialist.
The text was prepared based on materials from Politis
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