More than 1.8 million prescriptions for anti-depression medication were dispensed to people over 16 in the first five months of 2025, according to new HSE figures that highlight the scale of mental health challenges facing the country.
Between January and May 2025, exactly 1,855,620 prescriptions were issued to over-16s, representing a significant increase in anti-depression medication usage. The majority of these prescriptions – 1,462,648 – were dispensed under the General Medical Service scheme, which provides medical services to those who would face financial hardship accessing private care.
A further 373,106 prescriptions were issued through the Drugs Payment Scheme, where families pay a maximum of €80 monthly for approved medications, while 19,866 were dispensed under the Long-Term Illness Scheme, which provides certain medications free of charge.
The figures show a substantial rise compared to previous years. In the entirety of 2024, 487,792 prescriptions were issued to people over 18, while prescriptions for under-18s have also increased, rising from 36,578 in all of 2023 to 37,944 in just the first nine months of 2024.
A Department of Health spokesperson defended the increase, stating that international guidelines support medication as “an important and evidence-based intervention for people with moderate to severe mental illness.” They emphasised that medication should be combined with psychological and social treatments to support recovery.
The Government has allocated almost €1.5 billion for mental health services in 2025, representing record funding levels and a 44% increase since 2020. This investment supports the implementation of national mental health policy “Sharing the Vision” and suicide reduction strategy “Connecting for Life.”
Current investment priorities include talking therapies and child and youth mental health services, with targeted initiatives supporting young people transitioning from child to adult mental health services.