The prescriptions of antidepressants that were carried out between March 2018 and February 2024 in the Basque Country have been analyzed, divided into three periods of two years: pre-pandemic, pandemic and post-pandemic. It has been observed that the two years of the pandemic had a significant impact on the prescription of antidepressants, especially among women under 40 years of age. The researchers highlight that the greater impact of young women on emotional well-being during the pandemic could be due to the role of the caregiver and the feminization of care tasks in the health sector, which entails a greater emotional burden. Similar results have been reported in France: an increase in antidepressant prescriptions among women during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period.

On the other hand, it has been observed that, after leaving the COVID-19 pandemic largely behind, men and women of all age groups (with the exception of men under 20 years of age) have had a higher incidence of depressive symptoms. According to the researchers, the analysis has detected that the long-term impact of the pandemic on the emotional health of the population has been high due to several factors. It is likely that the prolonged social loneliness experienced by the majority of the population has had lasting effects on the way people interact and feel connected to others. In addition, the economic impact of the pandemic (such as job loss or financial insecurity) continues to affect the mental health of many people.

On the other hand, the researchers add that the constant state of stress during the pandemic could be one of the main reasons for this higher incidence of depressive symptoms perceived by the population in the long term.

The authors also recognize a limitation of the study: that new antidepressant prescriptions are not only given to patients with depressive symptoms, but also that these drugs are prescribed in other cases such as anxiety, insomnia or chronic pain.