Investigating the Connection: Antidepressants & Global Mental Health

This essay argues that the increasing consumption of antidepressants is a major contributing factor to the global rise in mental illness cases. It highlights the potential negative impacts and side effects of antidepressants, such as decreased alertness and suicidal feelings, which are directly linked to mental health issues. The essay also discusses the role of factors like social media and unhealthy lifestyles in depression, leading to increased antidepressant use. While acknowledging alternative perspectives, the essay emphasizes the addictive nature of antidepressants and their potential to exacerbate mental health problems. The proposed solutions include increased involvement in work or studies, avoiding activities that cause depression, seeking support from family and friends, and adopting a healthy lifestyle to reduce reliance on antidepressants and improve overall mental well-being. Desklib provides a platform for students to access this essay and other resources for their studies.

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Proposal Argument

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The number of cases involving mental illness of patients has increased across the globe. Many
of these mental illnesses and disorders are not recognized and treated appropriately which
resulted in creating challenges for the patients and their family and friends (Cattaneo and Riva
169-174). The mentally challenged people find it difficult to live a normal life in society, and
they are more likely to face challenges such as lack of confidence, anxiety, depression, and
others. It becomes difficult for people who suffered from these disorders to complete their day
to day tasks. The growing number of mentally ill people has raised many questions regarding
the reasons which resulted in causing mental illnesses. The lifestyle of people is a major
contributing factor which resulted in increasing the number of mentally ill patients. One of the
key issues which are increasing mental disorders is the consumption of antidepressants. The
consumption of antidepressants has become a part of many people’s lives which is a
contributing factor to the growing number of mental disorders in people (Vancampfort et al.
343-352). Daily or excessive use of antidepressants causes serious health-related issue in which
mental disorder is included. The thesis will argue that the consumer of antidepressants is a
major reason which has increased the number of mentally ill patients globally and this issue can
be resolved by making changes in people’s lifestyle.
Every antidepressant has a potential negative impact on a person who is consuming the drug
which can have various side effects and mental disorders are one of those side effects. The
number of mental patients includes globally. In 2016, more than 1.1 billion people were facing a
mental or substance use disorder. In the United States, there are more than 44 million adults
who have a mental health condition (MHA). These numbers show that the issue of mental
illness has increased which is affecting a large number of people all around the world. The
consumption of antidepressants is a key reason for the increase in these numbers due to its
side effects such as decreased alertness, suicidal feelings, sexual problems, hypomania,
serotonin syndrome and others. Most of these side effects are directly linked with the mental
health of the person who is taking antidepressant (Lewer et al. 221-226). It shows that the use
of antidepressant resulted in increasing side effects of people which makes them more prone to
mental illnesses than compared to others. People who use antidepressant drugs on a daily basis

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are more likely to see these side effects which resulted in increasing their chances of suffering
from a mental disorder.
The popularity of the internet has increased depression among people, and it forces them to
use antidepressant to relieve their pain which makes them addicted to them. According to the
World Health Organization, depression is a common illness across the globe, and more than 300
million people are affected by this illness. From this 300 million people, 16.2 million adults are
from the United States (Morin). It shows that the rate of depression has increased significantly
in the past few decades. The popularity of the internet, particularly social media sites, plays a
crucial role in this growth. Excessive use of social media sites leads to depression in adults as
well as children. Recent studies have found that the people who spend most of their time on
social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram are shown to have substantially higher rate
of reported depression from 13 to 66 percent (Miller). The popularity of smartphones and other
wearable devices has made it easier for people to always stay connected to social media sites
which increase the threat of depression as well. People think more about their online image
than their real image which makes it difficult for them to live normally; the use of
antidepressants assist them in relieving this stress which also makes them addicted
(Vancampfort et al. 343-352).
Many studies argue that lack of nutrition diet and unhealthy lifestyle is a major reason of
increasing number of mental patients because they are unable to cope up with the stress which
they face at work and home. Cattaneo and Riva (169-174) provided that there are more people
who live unhealthy lives rather than those who take antidepressants which makes it a bigger
reason for increasing number of mental patients. However, antidepressants are highly addictive
drugs, and they make it easier for people with mood disorders to stay relaxed. People use
antidepressants in order to treat depression and other mood disorders; it is easier for them to
get a prescription for antidepressant through a doctor’s approval (Vancampfort et al. 343-352).
The side effects of antidepressants are much higher which means that people who take them
are more likely to suffer a mental disorder than compared to those who live an unhealthy life.
The popularity of this drug has made it easily available on a global stage. They work life

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painkillers or other addictive drugs which make their patients rely on them. The patient also has
to increase the consumption of antidepressant in order to get the same effect the next time,
like all addictive drugs, which makes it easier for them to become addicted to antidepressant as
well.
In order to resolve this issue, the people should involve in their work, and they should help each
other to overcome their problems rather than using this medication. People who are already
addicted to antidepressant should try to keep themselves busy in other things (Cattaneo and
Riva 169-174). In the beginning, they will find it very difficult to stay normal without this drug;
however, with proper support and willpower, they will be able to resolve their depression. If
they get involved in their work, then they shift their focus from depressing factors which assists
in eliminating the same. Similarly, people should help each other for issues such as depression
rather than using antidepressant. Parents should not let their children excessively use social
media sites, and they should not let them use antidepressant in case they feel depressed
(Lewer et al. 221-226). They should involve in their life and emotionally support them rather
than using this medication. Therefore, the first step is to increase the involvement in work or
studies to shift the focus from the topic which is causing depression. The second step is that the
patient should avoid activities such as use of social media which causes depression. The third
step is help and support from family, friends and medical professionals who should avoid
prescribing antidepressant and they should rather engage with the patients to eliminate their
depression. The last step is living an overall healthy lifestyle by eating healthy food and
exercising on a regular basis.
In conclusion, the number of mentally ill patients is increasing on a global stage, and one of the
reasons for this growth is the use of antidepressant by people. There are many factors such as
use of social media sites, work pressure and others which causes stress and depression among
people due to which they get antidepressant to eliminate depression. However, they are more
likely to get addicted to antidepressant because it gives them pleasure for a certain period and
they are able to resolve their problems for some time. After termination of the effect of the
drug, they are more likely to consume it again to get same effect which resulted in increasing its

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side effects. Although unhealthy lifestyle also causes mental disorders, however,
antidepressants are more addictive which increases the number of mentally ill patients. Various
steps which people can take to solve this problem include involvement in work, avoiding
activities which cause depression, support from family and friends and an overall healthy
lifestyle. Avoiding antidepressant and living a healthy lifestyle will reduce the number of
mentally ill patients all around the world.
Figure 1: Symptoms of depression among US, 12th graders
(Source: Singal)

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Figure 2: Growth in number of mental patients
(Source: PDHPE)

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Works Cited
Cattaneo, A., and M. A. Riva. 2016. "Stress-induced mechanisms in mental illness: a role for
glucocorticoid signalling." The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology 160:
169-174.
Lewer, Dan, Claire O'reilly, Ramin Mojtabai, and Sara Evans-Lacko. 2015. "Antidepressant use in
27 European countries: associations with sociodemographic, cultural and economic
factors." The British Journal of Psychiatry 207.3: 221-226.
MHA. “The state of mental health in America.” MHA. 2018. Web. 05 December 2018 <
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/issues/state-mental-health-america >.
Miller, Caroline. “Does Social Media cause Depression?.” Child Mind Institute. 2018. Web. 05
December 2018 < https://childmind.org/article/is-social-media-use-causing-
depression/>.
Morin, Amy. “Depression Statistics Everyone should know.” Verywellmind. 2018. Web. 05
December 2018 < https://www.verywellmind.com/depression-statistics-everyone-
should-know-4159056>.
PDHPE. “Mental health problems and illnesses.” PDHPE. 2018. Web. 05 December 2018 <
https://www.pdhpe.net/health-priorities-in-australia/what-are-the-priority-issues-for-
improving-australias-health/high-levels-of-preventable-chronic-disease-injury-and-
mental-health-problems/mental-health-problems-and-illnesses/>.
Singal, Jesse. “For 80 Years, Young Americans Have Been Getting More Anxious and Depressed,
and No One Is Quite Sure Why.” The Cut. 2016. Web. 05 December 2018 <
https://www.thecut.com/2016/03/for-80-years-young-americans-have-been-getting-
more-anxious-and-depressed.html>.

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Vancampfort, Davy, Simon Rosenbaum, Felipe Schuch, Philip B. Ward, Justin Richards, James
Mugisha, Michel Probst, and Brendon Stubbs. 2017. "Cardiorespiratory fitness in severe
mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis." Sports Medicine 47.2: 343-352.