Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of anti-depressants in treating (1) mild, (2) moderate, and (3) severe, depression.

A number of anti-depressant products have been licenced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). These medicines are prescription only, and must only be prescribed by a healthcare professional.

Each individual product is assessed for its efficacy and safety in a specific indication prior to the issuing of a marketing authorisation. Only when the benefit-risk analyses have been shown to be positive in relation to quality, safety, and efficacy, will a product obtain an approval.

The Product Information for each product will include not only the details of the indication, but will also include posology, or the dose recommendations, contra-indications, a list of known side-effects, and a reference to the Yellow Card Scheme, for reporting new side-effects. Safety is regularly monitored in order to detect any safety signal not recorded during the clinical trials and once the drug is available to a wider population.

Details of products approved by the MHRA, including therapeutic indications, can be found by searching ‘antidepressant’ on the MHRA website, which is available in an online only format.

The effectiveness of the product, which is measured post-authorisation, is considered by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and other learned bodies, for the development of clinical guidance.

It should be noted that non-pharmacological alternatives may also be recommended to a patient, however this a decision for the healthcare professional.

The NICE is the independent body responsible for translating evidence into authoritative guidance and best practice for the health and care system. NICE guidelines provide recommendations in terms of both the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions and services, and National Health Service organisations are expected to take them fully into account in designing services that meet the needs of their local populations.

The NICE has published guidance on the treatment and management of depression in adults which provides recommendations on the use of antidepressants and non-drug treatments for depression.