Women and young adults propel huge rise in use of anti-anxiety drugs

One reason for the gender disparity is the fact that women ‘are more comfortable seeking help for mental health conditions’. Photograph: Westend61/Getty Images

The number of people in the UK using drugs to combat anxiety is soaring, driven by major increases among women and young adults, new research shows.

Women are more than twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with anxiety and prescribed medication including antidepressants to relieve its symptoms, the study found.