Campaigners demanded yesterday that more psychological therapies be made available on the NHS after a study showed that Britain leads the world in prescribing antidepressants and other mind-altering drugs to children.

Campaigners demanded yesterday that more psychological therapies be made available on the NHS after a study showed that Britain leads the world in prescribing antidepressants and other mind-altering drugs to children.

The number of prescriptions rose in the UK by 68 per cent between 2000 and 2002 before concerns about the drugs' safety, particularly Seroxat, led to official advice to limit their use for young people. Side-effects can include suicidal feelings, anxiety and insomnia.

Researchers from the University of London compared Britain to nine countries including France, Germany, Spain, Canada and the US. While increases were recorded in all countries, Britain issued more than five times as many new prescriptions as Germany.