According to the Finnish Association of Pharmacies (AFP), sales of psychiatric drugs have increased by about nine percent from last year.
Erkki Kostiainen, AFP’s communications director, sales growth for antidepressants has been significant.
Total pharmaceutical sales are estimated to have grown by about two percent from last year.
Statistics from Kela, the social insurance institution responsible for financing prescription drugs in Finland, also show that more and more psychiatric drugs have been prescribed this year.
For example, between January and November this year, the volume of purchases of antipsychotics (ie one batch of medicines delivered from a pharmacy) has been about 8% higher than in the corresponding period last year.
Lack of access to treatment can be a factor
The coronavirus pandemic has caused many additional stress and anxiety, and it has also increased people’s mental strain. Those who struggled before the pandemic are in the most difficult position.
However, according to Kristian WahlbeckMIELI Mental Health Finland psychiatrist, there is no evidence that a pandemic has increased real mental health problems.
In Finland, more than 400,000 people take antidepressants. The use of antidepressants increased in the early 2000s as new drugs were approved and gained momentum in marketing. After that, the situation leveled off until sales started to grow again in 2018.
According to Wahlbeck, medication should not be the primary treatment for anxiety and mild mood disorders. The first option should be treatment.
He is concerned that without a meeting with a therapist, people may not be able to unpack in bulk the problems and fears of the coronavirus, for example. If counseling has not been available, doctors may have had to resort to prescribing medication even in mild mood disorders.
"The best help is speech therapy, which gives people support and hope," said Wahlbeck. "Counseling and other speech therapies can help people find solutions and use their own resources."