Psychotropic drug use in a Swedish community--the importance of demographic and socioeconomic factors.

In this study the importance of demographic and socioeconomic factors for the use of psychotropic drugs in the general population of a Swedish community was studied using data from a research registry on prescriptions. The study showed that age, gender, marital status, socioeconomic status and distance to the health center had independent and significant effects on the use of psychotropic drugs. Age was of very great importance; the proportion of users was more than ten times greater among individuals aged 75-84 years than among those aged 18-34 years. Furthermore it was approximately twice as common with those drugs among women as compared to men. Differences with regard to marital and socioeconomic status were also present but these were generally small except in certain groups such as men aged 35-44 who were not employed, divorced men aged 45-54 and 55-64 years and single women aged 35-44 years.