BBC News By Lucy Ballinger & Alex Jennings Wales Live media captionCovid has 'accelerated' anti-depressant use Antidepressants should not be used as a "sticking plaster", a charity has warned, after prescription numbers "accelerated" during the pandemic. While use of the drugs has increased, the number of people referred to talking therapies is down, official figures showed. Mind Cymru said antidepressants could be helpful for short periods but failed to address any long-term issues. The Welsh Government said it was investing in mental health support. More than 3.2 million antidepressant items were prescribed by GPs in Wales in the six months after the Covid pandemic started - an increase of 115,660 compared to the previous year.