For a while, it seemed that we lived in a world of 'Prozac' nations. The hype surrounding 'Prozac' ['Fluoxetine'] during the 1990s helped combat the stigma associated with depression, and, partly as a result, the number of people diagnosed with the condition increased markedly. In the UK, for example, the number of prescriptions for antidepressants rose from 9 million in 1991 to 22 million in 2000. That meant huge sales of leading antidepressants worldwide [seetable]. But is the bubble about to burst? New research from Datamonitor, an independent market analysis company, revealed that psychiatrists are losing confidence in the clinical effectiveness of leading antidepressants. Datamonitor comments that drug companies need to invest in further research, using outcome measures that reassure physicians and patients that second-generation antidepressants are safe and effective, to take advantage of this huge demand.Table. Breakdown of the global antidepressant market by country 1999-2000