At War With Ukraine & Mind: Why Russians Are Turning To Anti-Depressants Explainer

Last Updated:February 17, 2026, 16:04 IST

A number of factors have been cited for the crash in Russian mental health, particularly the "culture of fear" created by the Kremlin

Russia, which has been in a war with Ukraine for nearly four years, is consuming antidepressants at never seen before levels.

At least 22.3 million packages of drugs such as Prozac, the equivalent of £200million and almost double the amount bought in 2022, were sold last year, data from Russian analytics company DSM has revealed, the Telegraph reported.

Analysts have called the trend worrisome pointing to a growing mental health burden driven by war, economic stress, and political repression.

Numberspeak

According to market research by Russian consultancy DSM, pharmacies sold 8.4 million packages of antidepressants in 2019. That figure rose to 13 million in 2022, then climbed to 15.3 million in 2023 and 17.9 million in 2024, The Telegraph reported.

By 2025, annual sales reached 22.3 million packages, nearly three times pre-pandemic levels. DSM data also show that antidepressant sales grew by 36 percent in 2025 alone, a rate far higher than in previous years.

Another consultancy, RNC Pharma, estimated that sales may be even higher, placing the total at 23.5 million packages. Between January and October 2025, pharmacies sold 19.1 million packages. Retail turnover peaked in October at 15.7 billion rubles, the highest monthly figure ever recorded for antidepressants in Russia.

Moscow and the surrounding Moscow Oblast accounted for 31 percent of sales by value, highlighting the pressure felt in major urban centres where political control, economic strain, and social change are most intense.

Comparing it to Covid era

The scale of the increase stands out when compared with earlier crises. During the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, pharmacies sold 7.9 million packages of antidepressants. In 2021, sales rose modestly to 9.2 million.

Those figures now appear low compared with post-2022 levels. Analysts say the steady rise since the war began points to a deeper and more sustained psychological impact than the pandemic.

What are Russians buying?

Antidepressants now rank second in Russia’s retail pharmaceutical market by value. The most commonly sold drugs include sertraline, fluoxetine, and amitriptyline. Zoloft is the highest-selling medication in the country. Many of these drugs are Western-developed SSRIs such as Zoloft, Prozac, and Cipralex, despite state rhetoric critical of the West.

Complaints about missing medicines rose to 22,700 in the first nine months of 2025, up from 19,100 in the same period in 2024. More than 63 percent of complaints involved drugs unavailable on shelves, Moneycontrol reported.

Russia also lost 754 pharmacies between January and September 2025. Smaller towns and rural areas are especially affected, forcing residents to travel farther for basic medicines.

Reasons behind the mental health crisis

A number of factors have been cited for the crash in Russian mental health, particularly the “culture of fear" created by the Kremlin, according to Stanislav Stanskikh, a Russia expert, as more than 20,000 Russians were arrested for anti-war activity between 2022 and 2025.

The worsening cost of living crisis has also led to growing anxiety, with Putin’s war machine being prioritised over residents’ welfare, pensions and education.

Stanislav Stanskikh, a Russia expert, linked antidepressant use to these pressures. Speaking to The Telegraph, he said, “The increase is attributed to reduced stigma around seeking mental health care, stockpiling amid sanctions, and broader economic and social shocks."

He added, “While the long-term mental health effects of authoritarian rule remain debated, the World Health Organisation has consistently shown that wars and other large-scale emergencies leave lasting psychological consequences, ranging from chronic distress to PTSD and severe mental disorders."

More than a third of Russians believe the economy is getting worse – 10% more than in 2022 – a Gallup poll revealed, with nearly half saying it was a bad time to get a job and just under a third saying they struggled to afford food for themselves and their families. Citizens are now unable to buy everyday essentials such as potatoes, which have spiked in cost by 167% following failed harvests, according to an Express report.

Independent counts by Mediazona in collaboration with the BBC confirm that more than 160,000 Russian soldiers had been killed by the end of 2025. Analysts believe the real number is far higher, with estimates of total losses reaching over 350,000 when wounded and unreported deaths are included.

These figures do not capture the psychological trauma faced by returning soldiers, families, and communities affected by repeated mobilisation.

News explainers At War With Ukraine & Mind: Why Russians Are Turning To Anti-Depressants Explainer

Read More