(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom say some of the money spent on prescription antidepressants over the last decade could have instead gone to behavioral therapy, which has proven effectiveness.

Researchers say cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective alternative to drugs but is not widely used. The number of prescription antidepressant drugs has risen dramatically in the United Kingdom since the early 1990s.

Using Department of Health data, researchers determined the number of patients who could have been treated with cognitive behavioral therapy in 2002 if the rise in prescribing had not occurred and the associated costs had been diverted to psychological treatments.

Between 1991 and 2002, prescriptions per person for all antidepressants increased by almost three-fold. Researchers say 1.54 million patients who suffered from depression could have undergone behavior therapy with the millions of dollars extra spent on antidepressant drugs.

Researchers conclude there is a clear need to establish the most appropriate balance between drugs and other methods to treat depression.