NHS report finds rise in mental health prescriptions in England; ADHD medicines see fastest growth

Prescriptions for mental health medicines rose across most categories in England between October and December 2024, according to new figures from the NHS Business Services Authority. The data shows increases in both the number of items issued and the number of patients receiving them, with the sharpest growth seen in treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The quarterly ‘Medicines Used in Mental Health’ report covers Q3 of 2024/25 (October to December 2024) and compares with Q2 (July to September 2024). It tracks five British National Formulary groups: antidepressants; hypnotics and anxiolytics; drugs for dementia; drugs used in psychoses and related disorders; and central nervous system stimulants and drugs for ADHD.

Antidepressant prescribing reached 24 million items in Q3, up 1.6% on the previous quarter, and was issued to an estimated 7 million identified patients, up 1%. Spending on antidepressants stood at £57 million, a decrease of 6.4%. Central nervous system stimulants and drugs for ADHD recorded the largest percentage rise in items, increasing by 8% to 870,000.

The number of identified patients receiving these medicines grew by 6.1% to 248,000, while spending for this group rose by 7.9%. Prescribing of drugs for dementia increased by 2% to 1.2 million items and was issued to 273,000 patients. This group saw the largest growth in cost among the five categories, with spending up 15% compared with the previous quarter.

Hypnotics and anxiolytics rose by 1.4% to 3.4 million items, with the number of patients increasing by 1% to 1 million. Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders reached 3.5 million items and were prescribed to 664,000 identified patients, an increase of 1.1%.

The NHS Long Term Plan, published in 2019, sets out priorities for improving mental health care, including increased funding for services, particularly for children and people with dementia.