Every night, another prescription enters Monique Simonot’s bloodstream.

The University of Ottawa student takes an anti-depressant because it is too hard to sleep at night, yet too easy to pass out during the day. She faces a disorder of mood, a depression that delivers an overwhelming sense of defeat, nausea and abandonment.

“I’ve stalled but the rest of the world keeps moving forward without me,” the 21-year-old said.

But Simonot’s story is hardly unique.

Data provided by two of Ottawa’s post-secondary student unions detail which medications students are relying on the most, according to claims made through their prescription drug benefit plan.

At the top of the list: Anti-depressants.

They are one of the most claimed prescription drug expenses at both Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa.

Algonquin College Students’ Association (SA) statistics show there were $99,829 worth of anti-depressants claimed throughout the 2011-2012 academic year, the most recent numbers available. Of the total 11,729 claims, nearly 20% were for antidepressants.

In comparison, University of Ottawa students claimed $119,049 worth of antidepressants in 2011, second only to birth control. This year, the dollar amount has risen even further.

Security net

“I can tell you that the amount claimed (for anti-depressants) has increased again this year,” said Anne-Marie Roy, president of the SFUO.

By default, post-secondary students pay into their student union’s insurance plans, which cover prescription drugs, dental and other health care services. This has provided a security net for students like Christine Roy, who do not have private health insurance (students who do can opt-out of the plans).

The freshman suffers from anxiety, but finds relief in a 10 mg daily dose of Cipralex, a medication that costs her roughly $70 a month. Because her college health plan covers the majority of the fee, Roy’s expense is reduced to $15.

“If I didn’t have the insurance, life would be even more stressful,” she said. “Without it, I’d probably be on a cheaper medication that wouldn’t work as well for me.”

Both institutions’ anti-depressant use is consistent with a recently released national report that suggests Canadians are the world’s third highest users of the drugs, downing 86 daily doses per day for every 1,000 people in 2011 according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

All this has happened while Canadian spending on private health insurance has more than doubled over the past 20 years, the latest results in a study published in April’s edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).

But increased usage of anti-depressants isn’t an automatic cause for concern says one of the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre’s top doctors.

“It’s not necessarily a bad thing that students are receiving treatment for mental health conditions when in the past they may have been reluctant to do so,” said Dr. Zul Merali, president of the Royal Ottawa’s Institute for Mental Health Research.

“The perceived stress that the students are feeling — leaving home, building new relationships, taking on responsibility for studies — are all certainly quite stressful and may contribute to triggering depression.”

Stress management

When it comes to potential over-usage, Dr. Merali said the issue needs more study.

“We haven’t seen long-term studies that answer the question: How long should somebody be on antidepressants when they are younger in a stage when they are still growing?”

Recognizing the increased demand for anti-depressants, Algonquin College invited former NHLer and mental health advocate Theo Fleury to bolster alternative measures to help students with mental health issues. Both the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College have also routinely organized pet therapy sessions to help students de-stress during midterm and final examinations.

But even outside of the classroom, many will find mental illness won’t disappear says Mike Sullivan, president of Cubic Health. Based out of Toronto, the health benefits analytics company measures insurance plan-specific drug claims data.

“What you are seeing in post-secondary education with anti-depressants is no different than what you see in the workforce,” said Sullivan. “Colleges and universities have to give students the tools on how to deal with the challenges they face because what we see from employers is that mental illness doesn’t go away, it is there and it is a big issue.

“The real situation here is that a lot of the people we surround ourselves with are struggling in different ways.”