Study, Apr/20: Evolution of antidepressants and benzodiazepines use in a cohort

The full title of this Brazilian study is "Pattern evolution of antidepressants and benzodiazepines use in a cohort".

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32294666

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

In recent decades there has been an increase in the use of antidepressants (AD) and a decrease in the use of benzodiazepines (BDZ). Prevalence, cumulative incidence, and factors associated with the incidence of AD and BDZ use in a Brazilian population were estimated in this article.

METHODS:

Data were collected with a self-administered questionnaire in a cohort of employees from a university in Rio de Janeiro. The prevalence of the use of AD and BDZ was calculated for 1999 (4,030), 2001 (3,574), 2006-07 (3,058), and 2012 (2,933). The cumulative incidences of the use of AD and BDZ between 1999 and 2007 were estimated by the Poisson models with robust variance estimates.

RESULTS:

In 1999, the prevalence of the use of AD and BDZ were 1.4% (95%CI: 1.1-1. and 4.7% (95%CI: 4.1-5.4), respectively; in 2012, they were 5.4% (95%CI: 5.5-6.2) and 6.8% (95%CI: 6.0-7.. The incidence of use, between 1999 and 2007, was 4.9% (95%CI: 4.2-5.7) for AD and 8.3% (95%CI: 7.3-9.3) for BDZ. The incidences of AD and BDZ use were higher among women and participants with a positive General Health Questionnaire.

CONCLUSION:

In this population, the increase in the use of AD was not accompanied by a decrease in the use of BDZ, showing the prescriptions for psychotropic medication do not follow the currently recommended guidelines for treatment of common mental health disorders.

Full Study:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7112744/pdf/1518-8787-rsp-54-40.pdf