Antidepressants raise the risk of an early death by 33%

Taking antidepressants could increase the risk of an early death, a major study suggests.

Experts found depressed people without heart disease were 33 per cent more likely to die over any set period, for any reason, if they took antidepressants compared to those who did not.

The authors of the controversial paper said antidepressants do more harm than good - and their use should be severely curtailed.

But psychiatrists disputed the findings, arguing antidepressants have been safely used for years and offer a vital lifeline for people with no other options.

Antidepressants are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK, with one in 11 of all British adults thought to have recently used the pills.

Their use is dramatically increasing, with 64.7million prescriptions given out in England last year, double the number of a decade ago.

More