Anti-depressant use surges by 7% despite 'cut the pills' pledge

However, official figures showed a 7 per cent rise on the previous year, the second successive annual increase in anti- depressant medication.

The statistics revealed an increase in the "daily dose per capita" from 35.66 to 38.17 between April 2009 and March this year - the equivalent of 7 per cent.

Scottish Government officials said the numbers were equal to 105 doses per 1,000 people per day, compared with 98 per 1,000 in the previous year.

A leading Labour MSP and experienced doctor said that anti-depressant drugs should only be prescribed as a "last resort" for most patients.

Scottish Labour health spokesman Dr Richard Simpson said: "These figures are extremely worrying.

"The SNP government promised to stabilise the prescription of anti-depressants, but they have failed to do so and numbers continue to rise.

"I know from my experience as a doctor that mental illness can be devastating for those who experience it.

"However, for all but severely affected patients, the daily use of drugs should be a last resort and we need to make much more use of alternative treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy, which is a form of structured counselling." Tory health spokeswoman Mary Scanlon blamed the figures on what she said was a lack of support for people with mental health issues.

She said: "This is another SNP broken promise. Its obsession with waiting-time targets in the NHS results in mental health remaining a Cinderella service.

"The SNP manifesto promised development in counselling and talking therapies. This has not been delivered.

"Investment in mental health with early diagnosis and early intervention is critical to get patients the support and treatment they need - when they need it. More patients should be given access to NHS24 online support therapies in the early stages of their illness."

Lib Dem public health spokesman Jamie Stone also expressed concern about the high number of anti-depressant prescriptions handed out.

He said: "Drugs are not the only solution to mental health problems.Counselling and exercise are also good options."

Scotland's public health minister Shona Robison said understanding of the issue had improved but admitted that GPs are "effectively diagnosing depression".

Ms Robison said: "As our understanding has improved it has become clearer that we cannot be sure that implementing evidence-based prescribing behaviour will lead to a reduction in anti-depressant usage."

Meanwhile, the same figures showed there was a 4 per cent increase in the number of prescription items dispensed between 2008-9 and 2009-10, at the same time as an increase of 1.8 per cent in the gross ingredient cost.

The cost of prescriptions to dispensing contractors increased by 3.6 per cent from 1.07 million to 1.11m, according to the figures.

Official health figures also showed that almost 98 per cent of cancer patients receive treatment within a month of a decision being made on how to fight their disease.

Between April and June this year, a total of 4,330 patients started getting medical help within 31 days of a decision being made to treat them - 97.7 per cent of all eligible cases.

The Scottish Government said half of those patients were treated within six days or less.