Antidepressants are one of the most widely prescribed classes of medicines in England. In fact, around 10% of the entire population of the UK are prescribed an antidepressant at least once every year.
Now, newly released data has provided statistics on the most widely prescribed antidepressants in England. This provides some insights into which medicines are mainly prescribed.
It should be noted that antidepressants aren’t purely used for Depression. They are also used in a variety of other mental health conditions, such as Anxiety, trauma-based conditions, Eating Disorders, and more.
10. Paroxetine (Paxil) – 1.27m
Paroxetine, also known by the brand name Paxil, is an antidepressant from the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) class. It was prescribed 1.27 million times in 2024.
In the early 2000s, Paroxetine was one of the most widely-prescribed antidepressants, but following concerns over their withdrawal effects, its popularity decreased. However, it continues to be prescribed for many.
9. Trazodone (Molipaxin) – 1.34m
Trazodone, also known by the brand name Molipaxin, is an atypical antidepressant. It was prescribed 1.34 million times in 2024.
Trazodone is highly unlikely to be used as an initial antidepressant. Rather, it is often used after multiple SSRIs have failed to garner a response. It also has the benefit of being able to be prescribed alongside other antidepressants – which can be helpful.
Sometimes, having an atypical antidepressant alongside a more mainstream antidepressant can provide a strong combination. Trazodone may be especially used in cases where a person with a mental health condition struggles to sleep, as Trazodone has sedative effects.
8. Escitalopram – 1.95m
Escitalopram is an SSRI antidepressant. It has the brand name Cipralex, and is closely related to another SSRI antidepressant called Citalopram – which will be featured later. Escitalopram was prescribed 1.95 million times in 2024.
Escitalopram can be used as an alternative when a first-line SSRI antidepressant hasn’t worked. It was sparingly used when under patent, but Escitalopram is now available as a generic medication.
7. Duloxetine (Cymbalta) – 4.45m
Duloxetine is an antidepressant from the Selective and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) class. It is also known by its brand name of Cymbalta. 4.45 million prescriptions were written for Duloxetine.
Duloxetine is often used in cases where a patient has not improved after trying two SSRI antidepressants. It is one of just 2 SNRIs in the UK – the other of which comes next.
6. Venlafaxine (Effexor) – 6.06m
Just ahead of its fellow SNRI cousin, Venlafaxine was prescribed 6.06 million times in England in 2024. Its brand name is Effexor.
Similar to Duloxetine, Venlafaxine will often be prescribed when a patient has not responded adequately to two SSRI antidepressants. It is generally preferred to Duloxetine due to a more favourable side effect profile and better tolerability.
5. Fluoxetine (Prozac) – 7.53m
Arguably the best-known antidepressant of them all is Fluoxetine – also known as Prozac. Hailed as a “wonder drug” upon release, Prozac has been credited with helping millions of people.
In 2024, it was prescribed 7.53 million times. It is an SSRI antidepressant. Fluoxetine is commonly used as a second-line antidepressant, but can also be prescribed as a first-line treatment.
4. Mirtazapine (Remeron) – 13.13m
Mirtazapine is the most widely-used atypical antidepressant, with 13.13 million prescriptions issued in 2024. Also known as Remeron, this is a generally well-tolerated antidepressant.
Mirtazapine’s unique chemical composition means that it is often used as an adjunct – meaning it is often prescribed alongside other antidepressants. So when a person hasn’t reacted to an SSRI, Mirtazapine may be added.
Its flexibility and adaptability means it is a popular choice, but it is very rarely prescribed as a first-line treatment. It is also known for its sedative effects, so it could be prescribed initially to those presenting with sleep problems.
Moreover, Mirtazapine doesn’t typically cause sexual side effects, which can be appealing to many. However, Mirtazapine is strongly associated with weight gain, which puts some people off this medicine.
3. Citalopram (Cipramil) – 13.35m
Citalopram is an SSRI antidepressant, which is also known by the brand name Cipramil, or Celexa. It was prescribed 13.35 million times in 2024 in England.
Citalopram is often used as a first-line antidepressant. It has been a reliable antidepressant for decades – with strong tolerability and a lack of side effects. Many people have taken Citalopram with great success.
2. Amitriptyline (Elavil) – 16.18m
The placement of Amitriptyline in second should be met with caution. This is because Amitriptyline can also be prescribed in cases of pain management, unfortunately we do not have figures for cases where Amitriptyline was purely prescribed for mental health purposes. Overall, it was prescribed 16.18 million times in 2024.
Its positioning for mental health conditions would typically be much lower. Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant. This is an older style of antidepressant which is rarely prescribed for mental health conditions.
However, it has helped many people. When other antidepressants have failed to work, Amitriptyline can still be prescribed. It has a positive impact on many.
1. Sertaline (Zoloft) – 24.43m
The most widely prescribed antidepressant of all in England is Sertraline. Sertraline is well-known for its favourable side effect profile, lack of impact on weight, its tolerability, and above all, its ability to improve the lives of many.
Sertraline, also known by its brand name Zoloft, was prescribed 24.43 million times in 2024. It is an SSRI antidepressant – and is the first-line antidepressant used in the treatment of the majority of cases of mental health conditions.
It is highly likely that Sertraline will continue to sit atop of this leaderboard for a while. Hopefully, it will continue to help many people in their recovery from mental health conditions.
Summary
Antidepressants do have the potential to be very helpful. They are being prescribed on an increasing basis, with certain types of these medicines being prescribed more than others.
Regardless of the antidepressant being prescribed, the focus should always be on treatment and recovery. Combining medication with a form of talking therapy can be very helpful.
You can find out more about antidepressants at our dedicated webpage. We also have an article on everything you need to know about mental health medicine. Finally, our website features plenty of information on all things mental health.
See Also
- Which Countries Have The Highest Amount of Antidepressants Prescribed?
- What Is The Difference Between Dependence, Tolerance, Addiction and Withdrawal?
- List of Mental Health Medicines
- What Are Controlled Medicines? Explanation of Controlled Drugs
- What is the Difference Between Generic and Branded Medication?
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