The number of prescriptions doled out for antidepressants has doubled in the last decade, along with soaring numbers of drugs for conditions caused by unhealthy lifestyles.

Experts said the NHS figures showed the toll of modern life, with political uncertainty linked to Brexit adding to the nation’s woes,

The statistics show that last year almost the NHS issued almost 71 million prescriptions for antidepressant drugs, a rise from 36 million in 2008. Meanwhile, GPs prescribed diabetes medication on almost 55 million occasions, a rise of 69 per cent in a decade, at a cost of more than £1bn.

Experts said it followed an “alarming” rise in cases of type two diabetes, fuelled by obesity.

And statins prescribing rose by 43 per cent in a decade, the figures show.

Vicki Nash, Head of Policy at mental health charity Mind, said some of the rise in prescribing could be caused by increased understanding of depression, and rising numbers feeling able to ask for help.

But she said: “We currently live in turbulent times and the impact of Brexit on the nation’s mental health is hard to measure. We know political and world events can create a great deal of uncertainty, which can make some of us feel anxious, stressed and down.”