Northern Ireland's antidepressant spend increases by £7m in 2020

Figures show that expenditure went from £11.3m in 2019 to £18.3m in 2020.

Health officials say price increases among some of the most commonly used anti-depressant drugs have led to a "significant impact" on costs.

Responding to the figures, a leading GPs' union raised concerns about the "tsunami of mental health issues" caused by Covid-19.

Anti-depressant drugs can be used to treat a number of conditions such as anxiety and depression, and they are one of the most commonly-prescribed medications in the UK.

Previous research has found that Northern Ireland has one of the world's highest prescription rates for anti-depressants.

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