Doctors in Scotland are prescribing antidepressants "appropriately and in accordance with clinical guidelines", public health minister Michael Matheson has told MSPs. Mr Matheson, responding to reports on health statistics, said it was clear there was "a general misunderstanding" of the relationship between prevalence and defined daily dose in terms of antidepressant figures.
A report by health statistics body ISD Scotland showed a continued annual increase in the use of such drugs. The volume of prescribed antidepressant medicines increased by 350,372 from 4.31 million in 2009/10 to an all-time high of 4.66 million in 2010/11.
The report suggests that 11.3% of over-15s are on daily medication - up from 10.4% the previous year.
Mr Matheson, speaking during a Holyrood debate on mental health, said: "While the figures for defined daily dose have risen, the evidence from research is that the number of people who are taking antidepressants is not increasing.
"Secondly the evidence is that general practitioners are prescribing appropriately and in accordance with clinical guidelines, often in conjunction with psychological therapies, but also for longer periods which is consistent with those guidelines.
"I understand that Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of General Practitioners previously raised this as a matter of concern with opposition parties and will be making further representations in that regard."
Mr Matheson's comments came as he addressed MSPs on a consultation document on a new mental health strategy for Scotland. The document sets out four areas for activity including suicide reduction, dementia treatment, access to therapies and service structure.