With the conflict in Ukraine grinding on, many Russians are growing increasingly anxious and worried.
Russian Media Reports say that the number of antidepressants sold between January and September 2022 increased by 70% compared to the same period last year.
A digital labelling system in Russia saw the trend and noted two main causes of the rise.
They are unemployment from companies leaving the Russian market and general anxiety caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
People living in cities like Moscow and St Petersburg resorted more to antidepressant prescriptions to deal with stress and anxiety.
In Moscow, 13.1 packages per 1,000 people were bought per month, and in St. Petersburg 11.2 packages per 1,000 people.
The total amount spent in the first half of 2022 is 3.4 billion rubles.
And in Russia, the average bill for the purchase of such drugs is 596 rubles.
Vasilina Kotova, a 22-year-old IT Student, says she did not leave her house during the first two months following the start of the military intervention. She had no energy or desire to do anything.
She started taking prescriptions shortly after President Putin announced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As the conflict drags on, psychologists are worried about its long-term mental health impact on Russians.
Voiceover: Gopika K. P.
Production: Reenu Cyriac
