Anxiety and sleep medication use up since 2011, concentrated among women and working-class

Family doctors have already reported a notable rise in consultations for anxious symptoms in recent years, and pharmacists now confirm an increase in the dispensing of drugs used to curb anxiety attacks and aid sleep. The latest National Health Survey shows that, over nearly fifteen years (2011–2024), the prevalence of chronic anxiety disorders has risen noticeably in both men and women, with a larger increase among women.

The survey also indicates that medication use for these symptoms is concentrated in the working class: 45.3% of respondents who use such drugs are manual workers, skilled or unskilled. Pharmacists interviewed say demand climbed after the pandemic and has continued to grow since then, citing work pressures, housing problems and weakened social support as likely drivers.

Esther Márquez, pharmacist at Farmàcia Artemisa, says anxiolytics (for example, lorazepam or prazolam) and sedatives to help sleep (Noctamid) are the most commonly dispensed. “Since the pandemic demand began to rise, and in recent years I have noticed it rise further,” she says, noting many requests are for panic attacks or difficulty falling asleep. Márquez adds that antidepressant prescriptions have also grown, though less sharply: “People feel demotivated, apathetic, and antidepressants help improve mood.”

Women are the largest consumers of these medications, a pattern reflected across many drug classes in the government survey. Pharmacists attribute this partly to social pressures and to women’s roles in combining work, household management and childcare. They also note that men are often more reluctant to seek medical help for anxiety, treating it as a taboo.

Some pharmacists report a shift toward natural remedies among customers. Neus Lona, who works on Carrer del Fener, says recent demand often targets natural products such as magnesium, valerian and melatonin. Still, she confirms an overall upward trend in people reporting increased anxiety and sleep problems.

Data from public health sources show that, by age group, people aged 45–65 are the largest users of tranquillisers and sleep sedatives, with about 37% of men and women in that bracket consuming them. Pharmacies say patients increasingly ask for immediate relief, but staff direct them to seek a doctor’s prescription when appropriate.

Pharmacy staff also link some cases to economic pressures: one employee at Farmàcia Tristaina in Riberaygua recalled regular clientele who left the area after rent hikes; those clients had previously relied on pharmacy support to manage anxiety. The recurring message from pharmacists is that social support and medical guidance remain important alongside pharmacological options.