I'm glad that GSK have finally confirmed this after the years of speculation.

"Millions of people suffer from mild to moderate mental health problems
and treating them takes up about a third of GPs' time," she said in a
speech to the National Mental Health Partnership's conference. "Too
many people are prescribed medication as a quick-fix solution."

What Ms Hewitt failed to mention, of course, is that there's at least a ten month waiting list for counselling on the National Health Service, during which many 'mild to moderate mental health problems' are going to get considerably worse. I think that that's a more important issue than a third of GPs' time being taken up.

And here - one's GP can prescribe them. The assumption is, I believe,
that one's doctor has enough expertise on the physiological and
psychological condition that is depression, that s/he can ably
prescribe anti-depressants. Personally, I have no issue with that,
although I am aware that some doctors are very 'trigger-happy' in this.
I'm not sure that counselling should be mandatory before
anti-depressants are prescribed, particularly when they are now
available in very weak dosages. As I say, counselling is simply not an
option for most people here.

anonymology, see the new clip "signs of Deppression, Side-effects of medication" and join the discussion.