Antidepressants

As a crisis mental health practitioner I certainly see the benefits of short term antidepressants. My question to the community is what people think of long term antidepressants? I've seen a number of university studies concluding that they mostly produce a numbing effect on emotions and no other discernable benefit...

Wild tid bit, I once contracted in a CMHT that had 90% workforce on antidepressants, mainly sertraline

Update thank you to all who have discussed including those who think they disagree with me. I'm unable to find the study but of course one study doesn't balance many other studies. I have no agenda but to elicit the experiences and ideas of fellow clinicians. I hope that a conversation amongst people with minimal medical competence would not lead to people having practise changing views. I fully agree there is a huge role for medication and it provides value. Especially for conditions such as bipolar, trauma, clinical depression, and schizoaffective etc.

I find it interesting that fellow UK clinicians are feeling they're over prescribed. Maybe something to do with our services? Of course anti depressants are "long term" by nature and sometimes necessary lifelong. However I feel if prescribed for a long time with no other work they may be a band aid solution. Feel being the operative word!

It's shocking to me that teams are prescribed antidepressants to manage stress and anxiety!

I find the concept of herbal and psychedelic drugs interesting and wish I knew more about them.