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The number of antidepressant items prescribed in England increased by around 300,000 between March and June this year, according to the latest official figures.

The NHS Business Services Authority said 23,100,000 items were prescribed to 7,030,000 patients in the fourth quarter of the 2024-25 financial year, rising to 23,400,000 to roughly the same number of patients in the first quarter of 2025-26.

The number of patients prescribed hypnotics and anxiolytics fell by around 20,000 during that period, from 1,030,000 to 1,010,000, while the number of items increased by less than one per cent to 3.3 million.

The number of drugs prescribed for psychoses and related disorders rose from 3,420,000 to 3,490,000 but the number of patients receiving them fell from 664,000 to 661,000.

The number of medicines used to treat dementia increased from 1,190,000 to 1,230,000 items as did the number of patients prescribed them, going from 274,000 to 277,000.

The figures for CNS stimulants and drugs for ADHD revealed the number of items increased by six per cent to 965,000 while the number of patients rose seven per cent to 284,000.

CNS stimulants and drugs for ADHD produced the biggest increase in the cost of prescribing which rose by almost five per cent to £44.1 million in June.

Dementia drug costs increased from £8.3 million to £8.4 million while antidepressant costs fell from £55 million to £54.7 million. The cost of drugs used in psychoses and related disorders increased from £42.6 million to £43.6 million.