Ahmedabad: Breathlessness, a feeling of choking, sudden fear, insomnia, incessant crying without cause, persistent negative thoughts, reluctance to perform daily tasks, or even experiencing epileptic fits — these symptoms could point to anxiety, depression or other mental health conditions. Such issues, once rarely discussed, have now become alarmingly common.
The prevalence of mental health disorders has surged, and the evidence lies in the rising consumption of neuropsychiatric medication. According to data from Pharmarack, the market size of drugs under the neuro-CNS (central nervous system) category has seen a staggering growth of 56% over the past three years.
In Dec 2021, the moving annual total (MAT) sales for neuro-CNS drugs stood at Rs 456 crore. By Dec 2024 (period since Jan), this figure jumped to Rs 710 crore. MAT represents the rolling sum of sales over the preceding 12 months, highlighting the growing demand for these medications.
“The incidence of stress, anxiety, and insomnia is increasing, and more people are seeking help, which naturally increases the sale of these drugs. That apart, misuse and abuse of such drugs is also one of the reasons for the rise. When making online purchases, a single prescription is used multiple times by patients without any system of verification,” said Alpesh Patel, chairperson, Federation of Gujarat State Chemists and Druggists’ Association (FGSCDA).
“And then there are those who sell sleeping pills and even anxiety medicines without a prescription, which also adds to the abuse of these drugs,” said a medicine distributor, on condition of anonymity. Pharmarack data suggests that anti-epileptic drugs (30.7%), anti-depressants and mood elevator drugs (18%), drugs for neuropathic pain (13.5%), and anti-psychotic drugs (5.6%) are among the most widely sold medicines in 2024. Sleeping pill sales also grew 23% year-on-year against Rs 13 crore in 2023.
Dr Punita Grover, a city-based psychiatrist, said, “There surely is a rise in both consultation and medication prescribed post-Covid. Neuro-CNS category comprises a wide range of medicines from anti-anxiety and antidepressants to sleeping pills. The stigma around approaching mental health professionals has reduced. I think the medicine sales figures reflect the upward trend we have been observing for the past few years. The rise is seen across age groups.”
The rise in awareness in the past few years has made a major difference, said Dr Nehal Shah, a psychiatrist in Ahmedabad. Dr Hansal Bhachech said that apart from the usual symptoms, psychiatrists have seen a rise in cases of panic attacks, anxiety attacks, phobias and OCD.