‘A pill for every ill’: doctors say Australia overprescribing antidepressants to mask toxic social conditions

Governments are failing to address the toxic social conditions that cause chronic stress and cannot be medicated away, Dr Matt Fisher says. Illustration: Nash Weerasekera/The Guardian

Too many people are being prescribed antidepressants to deal with stressful life events or social problems, according to a growing chorus of doctors and researchers.

More than 14% of Australians are currently taking antidepressants, one of the highest rates in the world. Dr Matt Fisher, who researches wellbeing and the impact of stress, says while he has heard health workers talk about this “as a good thing, because it means more people are getting access to help”, he doesn’t see it as a success story.