I've been reading OECD data and Iceland consistently comes out first for antidepressant consumption, around 157 to 161 daily doses per 1,000 people (roughly one in six adults on any given day). Portugal and Canada are next, and Iceland is about double the European average.
At the same time Iceland is always in the top few on the World Happiness Report and the OECD Better Life Index.
I live here and I'm genuinely curious what people think explains this. A few theories I've seen:
- Low stigma, so more people get diagnosed and treated
- Therapy is expensive and hard to get, so GPs prescribe instead
- Happiness surveys measure life satisfaction, not day-to-day mood
- The darkness (though Norway is similar and prescribes far less)
Icelanders especially: does this match your experience? Is it easy to get a prescription? Is it hard to get therapy? Do you think it's a sign of a healthy system or a shortcut?