the antidepressant market | Italy

1.1 Definition and scope of study

Antidepressants are medically defined as anything, and especially a drug, used to prevent or treat depression. The available antidepressant drugs include the SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, MAOIs or monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, tetracyclic antidepressants, and others.

The global antidepressants market is expected to grow from $14.3 billion in 2019 to about $28.6 billion in 2020 as mental health issues are expected to increase because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The market is expected to stabilize and reach $19 billion at a CAGR of 7.4% through 2023.

Iqvia (a global health information provider) reports a 2.5% increase in the consumption of antidepressant drugs and a 24% increase for insomnia and anxiety drugs (in both hospital and pharmacy sales channels) between January and September 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. Furthermore, 20% of the population reportedly experienced depressive symptoms during the pandemic (double the incidence of the previous period) indicating a clear connection between the periods of lockdown and mental health.

According to the WHO, 3 million Italians suffer from depression, of which 1 million are affected by major depression. Moreover, the Osmed Report (Aifa) confirms that around 12 million packs of antipsychotics are consumed in Italy each year. These numbers give an idea of the potential of the antidepressants market in this country. 

For what concerns some trends inherent to the Italian market, it is worth noticing that there is still a huge disparity between the northern and southern regions of the country in merit of the recognition and acceptance of mental illnesses. It is indeed possible that these values have also been influenced by stereotypes that have not yet been eradicated in southern regions, which partly delegitimize psychological therapy or discourage many individuals from resorting to it as if it were a sign of weakness or even deviance.