According to The National Association for Premenstrual Syndrome (NAPS), the UK charity for people with PMT, there’s been a rise in the number of young women being told they’ve got depression when their symptoms are actually linked to their periods and don’t last all month. Those being misdiagnosed as clinically depressed may be prescribed anti-depressants by their GP, which can be strong and addictive.

Jackie Howe, who runs the charity, admitted that it can be hard for women to recognise that their symptoms are linked to their menstrual cycle, and women’s health spokesperson Sarah Jarvis agreed that a diagnosis can be difficult, saying: “The psychological symptoms of PMT and depression are very similar and so yes there can be a temptation to offer them anti-depressant drugs, because they can work for both”.

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Recent findings published by the Guardian suggest that individuals with mental health problems are three times more likely to have debt problems. Experts warn that financial troubles can result in depression, anxiety and even suicide.

Those suffering with bipolar disorder are likely to be more affected than most, as experts believe over-spending is often part of the condition. A report published by the mental health charity Mind has found that debt is leaving tens of thousands of people struggling to live.

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According to a recent article in the Guardian, there’s proof that GlaxoSmithKline’s bestselling antidepressant (Seroxat) could make depressed children feel suicidal. Apparently documents recorded that not only did Seroxat make some children feel suicidal, but it worked no better than a placebo.

The documents detailing this research were actually handed over to officials of the drug regulatory body in 2003, and there has been a four year criminal investigation into the findings. By 2003, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority estimates that between 7,000 and 8,000 children were taking the drug.

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According to an article in the Guardian, the Government has released details of its £170m plan to train 3,600 more psychological therapists in response to the study questioning the use of anti-depressants. According to the Department of Health, about 900,000 more people will be treated for depression and anxiety under the plan, and an estimated 450,000 of these will be cured.

Mental Health Groups accept that doctors have had little choice other than to prescribe anti-depressants due to the shortage of therapists. Alison Cobb, from Mind, said “Nine out of 10 GPs say they’ve been forced to dish out drugs because they don’t have proper access to ‘talking treatments’ such as cognitive behavioural therapy”. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) recommends that talking therapies should be tried before drugs are prescribed, but with the shortage of therapists, this is difficult.

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According to findings from a review of clinical trials, anti-depressants “worked no better than a dummy pill for mildly depressed patients and for most people suffering severe depression”. Researchers looked at four commonly-prescribed anti-depressants in the UK including fluoxetine (Prozac), venlafaxine (Efexor) and paroxetine (Seroxat). Professor Kirsch (from the Department of Psychology at the University of Hull) said: “The difference in improvement between patients taking placebos and patients taking antidepressants is not very great”.

Researchers reported little evidence of benefit when analysing both unpublished and published data from the drug companies. They concluded: “We find that the overall effect of new generation antidepressant medications is below recommended criteria for clinical significance.”

A spokesman for GlaxoSmith Kline (which makes Seroxat said): “The authors have failed to acknowledge the very positive benefits these treatments have provided to patients and their families dealing with depression and their conclusions are at odds with what has been seen in actual clinical practice.”

Dr Hilary Jones (from popular TV programme GMTV) said “The best treatment for depression is always likely to be a combination of drugs and talking therapies.”

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According to recent news a commons committee has expressed that GPs have been over prescribing and not following up the length of time people should be on certain drugs such as tranquilizers. More and more of the British public are taking drugs and turning into a ‘pill-popping nation’ with a tablet for every problem. In actual fact, one reason people are taking tablets is because of the general increase in depression.

Only 42% of people visiting their doctor for depression were offered counselling according to the Mental Health Foundation. If more people were given this option and made more aware of this sort of help, perhaps less people would be prescribed drugs and may not be on anti depressants for a long period of time.

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A study at Manchester Metropolitan University has suggested that taking part in activities such as dance, music and painting may help improve well-being and reduce levels of anxiety and depression. The study revealed that participants felt more confident and empowered, and the activities helped to give them a sense of purpose.

The research involved more than 100 participants and the lead researcher, Clive Parkinson, hopes the evidence will be incorporated into government policy.

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Research has found that people with bipolar disorder suffer from an accelerated shrinking of their brain. Bipolar disorder currently affects approximately half a million people in the UK and is characterised by periods of depression and mania.

Studies were carried out four years apart and showed loss of brain tissue in the areas controlling co-ordination, memory and face recognition. MRI scans of patients both with bipolar disorder and without showed that everyone loses a small amount of tissue over time, however those who lost the most grey matter had the most episodes of mania and depression.

Dr Philip Timms, honorary senior lecturer in psychiatry, said the findings raised many questions; “The important one is are the brain changes causing the disorder or is the disorder - and its associated stress - causing the brain changes?”

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Scientists in Norway have suggested that taking a spoonful of cod liver oil each day could help prevent depression. Their claim was based on a study of almost 22,000 people over 40 years old - results showed that those who regularly took the oil were less likely to suffer from depression.

The study also suggested that the longer a person took it, the less depressed they’d become. There is growing concern in the UK that too many people are being prescribed drugs such as Prozac, and there is a clear need for alternative treatments for depression.

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According to Mind, England and Wale’s leading mental health charity, ecotherapy is: “getting outdoors and getting active in a green environment as a way of boosting mental well-being”. Research conducted on the topic revealed that a huge 94% of participants said ‘green’ activities had benefited their mental health and lifted depression, and 90% said the combination of nature and exercise had the greatest effect.

This has led to calls for ecotherapy to become a recognised treatment for those suffering with mental health problems. With anti-depressant prescriptions reaching an all time high, ecotherapy could potentially help millions of people, at a far lower cost and with no side effects. The chief executive of Mind, Paul Farmers, highlighted the fact that ecotherapy could not replace drugs, but he said the debate needed to be broadened.

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Antidepressant prescriptions have hit a record high in England despite national guidance encouraging alternative treatments. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence set guidelines in 2004 recommending that antidepressants should not be the first port of call for mild depression. Despite this, more than 31 million prescriptions for drugs (such as Prozac) were issued last year.

According to an article on the BBC website, the mental health charity Mind say the UK is “trailing behind other countries in the use of other therapies” and apparently “93% of GPs have prescribed drugs due to lack of alternatives”. However, Prozac is still recommended for those suffering severe depression as the benefits outweigh any potential risk.

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Depression Awareness Week runs from 16th to 22nd April and is a great opportunity to raise the profile of depression and raise money to improve services. Launched by Depression Alliance over 12 years ago, the successful initiative has grown from strength to strength, with support from health professionals, politicians and the general public.

Depression Alliance are the UK’s leading charity for those suffering with depression and the organisation works hard to relieve and prevent the treatable condition by providing information and support. The charity believes that “the stigma and lack of accurate information surrounding depression continues to prevent people from seeking and finding appropriate and vital help when it is required”.

Young girls are crying out for help – last year one in six calls to a 24 hour mental health helpline came from young girls considering suicide. Depression, eating disorders sexual abuse and bullying seemed to be some of the main problems affecting young girls – according to the article on the BBC website, rates of depression and anxiety have increased among young people in the UK by 70% in the last 25 years. That’s a huge percentage, and an extremely worrying one.

Joelle Leader, assistant director of ChildLine said “At the moment, there are simply not enough therapeutic services for children with these problems, and we are urging the government to give this issue urgent attention.”

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According to the American Psychological Association, sexualisation can be harmful for young girls. An article on the BBC defines sexualisation as “…occurring when a person’s value comes only from her or his sexual appeal or behaviour, to the exclusion of other characteristics, and when a person is portrayed purely as a sex object.”

Television, magazines, music videos and video games all have a detrimental effect according to the report, and sexualisation can lead to depression, lack of confidence and eating disorders. The media’s portrayal of young women as sex objects negatively affects young girls in many ways, including “cognitive functioning, physical and mental health, and healthy sexual development.”

The task force from the American Psychological Association called on parents, health professionals and school officials to be aware of the potential impact sexualisation may have on young girls. They also said the government has a responsibility to reduce the use of sexualised images in the media.

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According to an article on the BBC, individuals claiming incapacity benefit because of mental illness has hit an all time high of £1.1m. The government said spending on mental health had risen by 25% in five years.

Figures show that claimants are now younger and more likely to be female and that drug and alcohol problems, eating disorders, stress and depression are increasingly becoming reasons for claims.

Spending more money on early intervention in mental health services was suggested to save money spent on benefits.

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