A HEREFORDSHIRE charity has called for the stigma around mental health to be removed as new statistics show a rise in antidepressant use in the county.

We are Farming Minds was established by Herefordshire farming couple, Sam and Emily Stables.

It was inspired by their own personal experience and their journey to overcome the stigma and lack of support for mental health in the rural communities.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire has seen a rise in the number of antidepressants prescribed by doctors over the last two years, according to new figures.

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Figures from the Open Prescribing Service show 1,165,923 prescriptions for antidepressants were given out in the NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire CCG area in the year to March.

This is an increase of four per cent from the year before, when an average of 114.7 were given per 1000 patients, and an increase of eight percent from 2019-20.

Emily Stables said that there has been noticeable increase of people asking for help in the rural communities of Herefordshire.

She said: "We've definitely noticed more people are coming forward looking for help.

"The financial situation, coupling with the isolation of the Covid pandemic has definitely made a difference."

However, Mrs Stables said that the figures could be looked at in a more positive way.

She said that the increase in anti-depressant use can in part be explained by people being more open about their mental health.

Mrs Stables said: "It's so important that we remove the stigma around mental health.

"It's an illness like any other and needs to be treated as such."

Antidepressants are commonly prescribed to improve mental health but may also be taken for conditions not directly related to this – such as certain types of long-term pain.

However, the story is similar for "selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors", the most commonly prescribed antidepressants for mental health conditions in England.

These are thought to increase the level of serotonin in the brain, and are often used to treat depression and anxiety.

Across England some 8.3 million patients received an antidepressant drug in 2021-22, a six per cent rise on 7.9 million the previous year.

An NHS England spokesperson said: “We know the pandemic has taken a toll on the nation’s mental health, with record numbers of people coming forward for mental health care and NHS staff are working hard to meet this demand.

"It’s vital people continue to come forward for any support they may need."