Greece sees mood drug sales rise
Sales of anti-depressant drugs in Greece have skyrocketed over the last five years as more Greeks – especially young ones – turn to these medications to help them overcome psychological problems, experts told Kathimerini yesterday. «Anti-depressants are among the top-selling drugs,» said Constantinos Lourandos, the head of the Athens Pharmaceutical Association, who added that there was a high consumption of sleeping pills as well. The surge in anti-depressant sales has coincided with more Greeks seeking the help of psychologists – something which was, until recently, a social taboo in Greece. Doctors working in the field say they are now seeing more patients. «Most of the patients are women but there has been a rise in the number of men as well,» clinical psychologist Anastasia Rush told Kathimerini. «I see a lot of young people, aged between 20 and 30, who are seeking psychological help,» she said. «The cause may be that their parents’ generation did not allow them to develop their own defense mechanisms.»
