Use of antidepressant SSRIs among young women nearly doubles in a decade

The share of young women using SSRI antidepressants in Finland has almost doubled over the past ten years, according to data from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela).

Last year, 11.5 percent of women aged 18–29 used SSRIs, compared to 7.1 percent in 2016. Among men of the same age, 4.4 percent used the medication in 2023.

SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are commonly prescribed for depression, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. According to Finland’s Terveyskirjasto (Health Library), their effect is believed to stem from enhancing serotonin activity in the central nervous system.