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HEALTH

Almost one in ten in Denmark prescribed antidepressants

New national data shows around 9 percent of people in Denmark made use of a medical prescription for antidepressant medicine in 2021.

Published: 28 February 2023 16:59 CET
Almost one in ten in Denmark prescribed antidepressants
Just under one in ten people in Denmark used a prescription for antidepressants in 2021. Illustration photo: Nastya Dulhiier on Unsplash

The number comes from a Statistics Denmark analysis on use of antidepressant medicines.

Some 12 percent of women used a prescription for antidepressants at some point during 2021, according to the analysis. The figure for men was 7 percent.

That corresponds to around 280,000 women and 158,000 men.

The higher number among women than men has been a constant element in each year covered by the analysis since it began in 2011.

“We know for example that women go to the doctor more often than men, so that can mean they also more frequently get a prescription for antidepressants,” Statistics Denmark special consultant Fenja Søndergaard Møller said in a press statement.

The difference between men and women also increases with age, while the proportion of people who take antidepressants generally increases with age and is highest for persons over the age of 80.

But the difference is not necessarily evidence that younger generations have better mental health, the statistics agency writes.

“The difference could be due to factors including a difference approach to treatment in young people compared to older people. That could include a greater tendency towards young people being offered a different form of treatment to antidepressants,” the analysis states.

“At the same time, young people are less common users of other types of medicine while older persons often have more regular contact with health services,” it states.

The total number of people who are prescribed antidepressants has not increased since 2011. The level was lower in 2021 than in 2011 for all age groups, at just over 10 percent in 2011 compared to 9 percent two years ago.

READ ALSO: Experts call for Denmark to spend billions on mental health services

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HEALTH

Denmark’s five regions could become four under government health plan

The Danish government on Wednesday proposed reforms to the country’s healthcare structure which could see the five administrative regions reduced to four.

Published: 18 September 2024 13:46 CEST
Denmark’s five regions could become four under government health plan

The government plans to merge the Zealand and Greater Copenhagen regions into a single “East Denmark” megaregion, reducing the number of regions from five to four, government leaders said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

The plan forms part of a broader health reform which was presented by the government leadership. 

The new East Denmark Region would result in a significant size disparity between the regions. For example, Region North Jutland covers only 10 percent of the population, while the new megaregion would encompass nearly half of Denmark’s population of 5.9 million people.

The three remaining regions would not be changed by the reform.

“There will not be fewer hospitals around the country. This is about strengthening them,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said at the briefing.

Currently, Denmark is organised into 98 different municipalities and five regions.

The primary task of municipalities is local administration of welfare and social needs including schools, while the job description for regions involves healthcare and social development.

Regions – and their elected boards – administrate public hospitals and the GP system. They also orchestrate regional mass transit and manage initiatives to create economic growth.

The names of the five regions (Greater Copenhagen, Zealand, North Jutland, Central Jutland and South Denmark) are most commonly associated with hospital care and health care. If you want to know which region you’re in in Denmark, you’ll find its logo at the entrance to most hospitals or public health facilities, as well as on your yellow Danish health insurance card.

READ ALSO: What’s the difference between a municipality and a region in Denmark?

The proposal presented on Wednesday includes three main elements. These are targets to provide more local services, increase the number of doctors and overhaul treatment of chronic diseases.

That includes addressing a shortage of doctors at some hospitals outside of larger cities – including in the Zealand regional authority – by ensuring better distribution of regional medical staff.

“The Regions must ensure hospitals that continue to deliver high quality treatment and they must ensure that resources are distributed in such a way that there are enough doctors in the areas where members of the public are most in need of treatment,” the proposal states.

“They will also be responsible for an overarching economy that must be targeted towards places where needs are greatest,” it continues.

Under the plan, the number of elected councillors across the country, currently 41 per region, would be reduced by the merger between two of the regions and by reducing the number of councillors in the remaining regions to 31, or 25 in the case of the smaller North Jutland region.

The government also wants to create 17 new health councils or sundhedsråd as part of the reform. These councils would consist of elected officials from both regional health boards and municipal governments, and would be tasked with implementing government initiatives.

The plan will also see increased uptake on medicine degrees in Esbjerg, Aalborg and Køge.

If the plan is adopted, the changes would take effect from 2027.

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