> Aren't the Nordic countries listed at the top also the highest consumers of anti-depressants?

Here's a report of the countries with most antidepressant users in the world 2024 (https://ceoworld.biz/2024/05/12/revealed-countries-with-most...):

1. Iceland

2. Portugal

3. UK

4. Canada

5. Australia

6. Sweden

7. Spain

8. New Zealand

9. Chile

10. Belgium

This report lists OECD countries but excludes the US. If the US were included, the report suggests the US would be among the top (either highest or second-highest) in terms of DDD per 1,000 inhabitants.

That could be because the "happy" countries have good health systems with wide coverage, so the people that need anti-depressants get them. In the "sad" countries people with depression often don't get to see a doctor, so a whole lot of people have undiagnosed and unmedicated depression.