Financial turmoil, spiralling casualties and a tradition of concern are among the many drivers of the obvious psychological well being disaster.
Demand for antidepressants has steadily climbed for the reason that Russian invasion of Ukraine (Picture: Getty)
Demand for antidepressants together with Prozac is hovering in Russia because the fourth anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine looms. Round 22.3 million packages of antidepressant medicine have been bought in 2025, the equal of £200 million and virtually the double the quantity purchased in 2022, in line with analytics firm DSM.
The obvious psychological well being disaster has been linked to a spiralling economic system, as funds are poured into Putin’s conflict machine, and a tradition of concern, with over 20,000 Russians arrested for anti-war actions between 2022 and 2025. Residents are unable to purchase on a regular basis necessities corresponding to potatoes, which have spiked in price by 167% following failed harvests, whereas welfare and schooling spending have additionally reportedly been slashed in favour of army aggression. Russia’s economic system can be persevering with to reel from the Western sanctions imposed after the Ukraine invasion, with its oil and fuel income plummeting to a five-year low of 393.3 billion rubles (£377 billion) in January.
Tens of 1000’s of Russians have been arrested for anti-war activites since 2022 (Picture: Getty)
The European Union (EU) has levied 19 rounds of sanctions on Moscow since February 24, 2022, throughout sectors together with luxurious and shopper items, aviation and vitality.
Whereas the Russian economic system proved comparatively resilient through the first three years of the battle, it slowed sharply in 2025 as curiosity spiked to its highest stage for the reason that 2000s.
The variety of antidepressants bought to the nation’s inhabitants of round 143 million has additionally steadily climbed for the reason that battle broke out, rising from 13 million in 2022 to fifteen.3 million in 2023 and 17.9 million in 2025.
Alongside the financial pressure, Putin’s dedication to not ease stress on Ukraine has seen a nationwide recrutiment marketing campaign and a whole lot of 1000’s of casualties – an emotional toll that has reverberated throughout the nation.
Fears of being known as as much as combat as a part of Putin’s acknowledged goal of recruiting round 400,000 extra males in 2026 are additionally propounded by a terror of expressing opposition and being thrown in jail, after a drastic escalation of Moscow’s clampdown on critics of the regime.
Because the conflict broke out, citzens have been imprisoned for denouncing the Ukraine invasion as a criminal offense, performing “banned” songs and affiliation to “undesirable” Western organisations.
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