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Psychotropic medications
Last edited |
10/21/2008
Psychotropic
medications, especially benzodiazepines, are today widely used in the general
population
Physicians, however,
are increasingly urged to exercise caution in prescribing such drugs.
Clinical studies have
shown a higher risk of :
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withdrawal reaction
upon discontinuation of benzodiazepines after long-term use;
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accidents, anterograde amnesia, and cognitive impairment particularly
among elderly users.
To date, few
epidemiological studies have provided the necessary information on psychotropic
prescription and consumption habits in the general population to prevent the
abuse and misuse of these drugs.
The present study
investigated patterns of psychotropic medication consumption in the UK general
population by assessing :
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psychotropic medication prevalence,
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type of medication prescribed,
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medical specialty of prescriber,
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indication of prescription,
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and use of over-the-counter products.
Psychiatric disorders
and associated physical illnesses were also explored.
Research
The prevalence of psychotropic medication consumption was
assessed in the UK by surveying a representative sample of 4972
non-institutionalized individuals 15 years of age or older (participation rate,
79.6%).
A questionnaire was administered over the telephone with the help
of the Sleep-Eval Expert System. Topics covered included:
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type and name of medication,
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indication,
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dosage,
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duration of intake,
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medical specialty of prescriber.
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sociodemographics,
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physical illnesses,
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and DSM-IV mental disorders.
Results
Overall, 3.5%
[95% CI: 3–4] of the sample reported current use of psychotropic medication.
Consumption was higher
among women (4.6% [3.8–5.4]) than men (2.3% [1.7–2.9]), and among the elderly
($65 years of age).
The distribution of
psychotropics was:
The median duration
of psychotropic intake was 52 weeks.
General practitioners
were the most common prescribers of psychotropics (over 80% for each class of
drug).
Psychotropic users were:
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with a DSM-IV anxiety disorder for nearly half of the antidepressant users,
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with a DSM-IV depressive disorder for one-fifth of the anxiolytic users.
A marked improvement in sleep quality was reported by half the
subjects using a psychotropic for sleep-enhancing purposes.
Psychotropic users
were more likely than non-users to report episodes of memory loss, vertigo, or
anomia.
Psychotropic
medication consumption is lower and patterns of psychotropic prescription differ
in the UK compared with other European and North American countries.
Results suggest that
physicians may not be sufficiently trained to deal with the overlap between
general practice and psychiatry.
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Sleep-EVAL
Research
