Anti-depressants are prescribed to millions of people each year to help ease the symptoms associated with depression. However, a new study has found that it is not just for the sake of depression that these drugs are prescribed for, but a multitude of other health conditions as well.
The study, conducted by a team of researchers from the McGill University in Montreal, looked at the frequency at which antidepressant were being prescribed in Quebec, Canada, the kind of antidepressants being prescribed and for what exact indications.
The researchers fetched the data for the antidepressant prescription from 160 primary care units in the region. The team had long suspected the use of antidepressants for the treatment of conditions apart from depression and since no previous research had been conducted on this subject, the researchers finally decided to take a look into it.
Looking at the 10 years worth of medical records belonging to over 20,000 patients, the researchers analyzed the use of all antidepressants against each indication mentioned by the doctor. The team found that 55 percent of all antidepressants prescribed were being used for the treatment of depression.
However, the remaining 45 percent of the antidepressants were being prescribed for an off-label indication, that is, for the treatment of conditions for which the drug is not approved by regulatory agencies. For example, antidepressants were being prescribed for the treatment of migraine, digestive problems and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Apart from off-label indications, the team also discovered that patients were being asked to take antidepressants for other medical conditions as well, including insomnia, panic disorder, pain and anxiety disorder.
"I can't make a statement to say that for sure they don't work or that they are exposing patients to health risks, but there's the possibility that they could be causing adverse health effects or that they may not be effective for the conditions," Jenny Wong, study author, told CBS News.
Wong further said that in the absence of any scientific evidence that these antidepressants can help treat medical conditions apart from depression, it is really hard to say whether the health practitioners are not risking their patient's health.
The following video explains how an antidepressant works in the human body: