{"id":541218,"date":"2026-04-20T15:12:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/541218\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T15:12:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:12:10","slug":"young-womens-antidepressant-use-nearly-doubles-in-a-decade-yle-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/541218\/","title":{"rendered":"Young women’s antidepressant use nearly doubles in a decade | Yle News"},"content":{"rendered":"

These drugs are used to treat depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorder.<\/p>\n

\"Woman<\/p>\n

Open image viewer<\/p>\n

Image: Tina Lundan \/ Yle<\/p>\n

Last year, 11.5 percent of women aged 18\u201329 were prescribed SSRIs, a class of drugs typically used as antidepressants, up from 7.1 percent in 2016, according to Kela.<\/p>\n

Among men the same age, 4.4 percent used SSRI medication last year.<\/p>\n

Apart from depression symptoms, the class of medicines are also used to treat anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder.<\/p>\n

When it comes to girls between the ages of 13 and 17, the increase was even more pronounced.<\/p>\n

In 2016, 3.1 percent of teen girls in the age group used the medication. By last year, the share had risen to 7.1 per cent.<\/p>\n

But there is some positive development. In recent years, the rise in SSRI use has levelled off, stabilising at a historically high level. Among teenage girls, the share of users has even edged down slightly recently.<\/p>\n

“The levelling-off in antidepressant use may reflect the fact that ADHD symptoms, especially among girls and young women, are now better recognised in healthcare,” said Miika Vuori, research manager at Kela.<\/p>\n

The All Points North podcast recently looked at burnout, hearing from audience members suffering from the stress-related condition while also learning from experts how to overcome it.<\/p>\n

Listen to the latest episode of All Points North on this player, on Yle Areena<\/a>, Apple<\/a>, Spotify<\/a> or wherever you get your podcasts.<\/p>\n

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