1 in 10: The number of American women who take antidepressant drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft or Paxil.
44%: The percentage of Americans adults and children who were taking at least one prescription drug in 1999 to 2000 – a five per cent increase since 1994. The percentage taking three or more prescription drugs increased from 12 to 17 per cent.
13.3 million: The number of prescriptions for SSRIs (the class of drugs antidepressants such as Prozac belongs to) written in the UK in 2002. In 1997 this number was around 6.5 million.
50,000: The number of children prescribed antidepressants at the end of 2003, according to authors of a study published in the British Medical Journal. More than 170,000 prescriptions for antidepressants were issued to under-18s in the UK.
54.2%: The percentage of Denmark’s population who classify themselves as “very satisfied” with the healthcare system. 35.8 per cent rated themselves as “fairly satisfied”. The Danes are the nation most satisfied with their country’s health service in Europe.
7.6%: The percentage of the UK’s population who classify themselves as “very satisfied” with the NHS. 40.5 per cent rated themselves as “fairly satisfied”.
53,000: The estimated number of people living with HIV in the United Kingdom by the end of 2003. This is an increase of seven per cent compared with 2002. Over a quarter were unaware of their condition. This figure includes undiagnosed and diagnosed people.
6,606: The number of new HIV cases diagnosed in 2003 in the UK. In 1998, 2,835 were diagnosed.
29%: The percentage of girls admitting to binge drinking three times in the previous month, according to a recent survey done by the European school survey project on alcohol and other drugs. 26 per cent of boys admitted to binge drinking.
1 in 4: Nearly one in four (22.9 per cent or 2,672,000 dependent children) live in lone-parent families, 91.2 per cent of which are headed by the mother. More than one in ten dependent children live in a step-family. The majority, though, live with both natural parents (65 per cent).
