Ainhoa Gómez-Lumbreras1,2, Ana Garcia Sangenis3,4, Oriol Prat Vallverdú3,4, Anna Gatell Carbó5, Cristina Vedia Urgell6,7, Laura Gisbert Gustemps8, Xavier Bruna Pérez9, Antoni Ramos Quiroga8,10, Rosa Morros Pedrós3,7,11,12. 1. Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol (IDIAPJGol), Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 587-àtic, Barcelona, Spain. agomez@idialjgol.info. 2. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. agomez@idialjgol.info. 3. Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol (IDIAPJGol), Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 587-àtic, Barcelona, Spain. 4. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 5. Equip Pediatria Territorial Alt Penedes-Garraf, CAP Vilafranca Nord, Institut Català de la Salut, Barcelona, Spain. 6. Unitat de Farmàcia, Servei d'Atenció Primària Barcelonès Nord i Maresme, Institut Català de la Salut, Badalona, Spain. 7. Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 8. Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain. 9. CAP Puig-reig. EAP Baix Berguedà, Institut Català de la Salut, Barcelona, Spain. 10. Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 11. Departament de Salut, Institut Català de la Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain. 12. UICEC IDIAP Jordi Gol, Plataforma SCReN, Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract
RATIONALE: The use of psychotropic drugs in the paediatric population has not been the subject of many studies, due to the fact that this population is generally not included in clinical trials and these drugs are not authorized for use on minors. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to provide an accurate description of psychotropic drug use in children and adolescents in the North of Europe and Catalonia. METHODS: Data from 2008 to 2017 on psychotropic drug consumption in children and adolescents were retrieved from the databases of Catalonia, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Psychotropic drugs were divided into antipsychotics, anxiolytics (also hypnotics and sedatives), antidepressants and psychostimulants. Data were stratified by group of age (0-4, 5-9, 10-14 and 15-19/15-17 for Denmark and Catalonia) and sex. RESULTS: Overall, the group of anxiolytics shows the highest consumption and the group of antipsychotics the lowest. In 2017, Sweden was the country with the highest consumption of psychotropic drugs (6.67‰) and has the highest increase in consumption (152.8%), and Denmark has the lowest consumption for all groups (3.13‰). Catalonia shows a decrease in psychotropic drugs (-15.9%). Girls consume more than twice as many antidepressants as boys while the opposite is true for psychostimulants. Risperidone and quetiapine are among the most consumed antipsychotics in the Nordic countries, whereas in Catalonia they are risperidone and aripiprazole. Among antidepressants, sertraline is the most consumed. No differences are found among the psychostimulants. CONCLUSIONS: Psychotropic consumption in younger populations is increasing, although there are differences between the countries as far as which drugs are used. Nordic countries show a higher prevalence of use than Catalonia. Psychotropic drug consumption increases with age, except for psychostimulants, which have the highest utilization rate among 10-14-year-olds.
RATIONALE: The use of psychotropic drugs in the paediatric population has not been the subject of many studies, due to the fact that this population is generally not included in clinical trials and these drugs are not authorized for use on minors. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to provide an accurate description of psychotropic drug use in children and adolescents in the North of Europe and Catalonia. METHODS: Data from 2008 to 2017 on psychotropic drug consumption in children and adolescents were retrieved from the databases of Catalonia, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Psychotropic drugs were divided into antipsychotics, anxiolytics (also hypnotics and sedatives), antidepressants and psychostimulants. Data were stratified by group of age (0-4, 5-9, 10-14 and 15-19/15-17 for Denmark and Catalonia) and sex. RESULTS: Overall, the group of anxiolytics shows the highest consumption and the group of antipsychotics the lowest. In 2017, Sweden was the country with the highest consumption of psychotropic drugs (6.67‰) and has the highest increase in consumption (152.8%), and Denmark has the lowest consumption for all groups (3.13‰). Catalonia shows a decrease in psychotropic drugs (-15.9%). Girls consume more than twice as many antidepressants as boys while the opposite is true for psychostimulants. Risperidone and quetiapine are among the most consumed antipsychotics in the Nordic countries, whereas in Catalonia they are risperidone and aripiprazole. Among antidepressants, sertraline is the most consumed. No differences are found among the psychostimulants. CONCLUSIONS: Psychotropic consumption in younger populations is increasing, although there are differences between the countries as far as which drugs are used. Nordic countries show a higher prevalence of use than Catalonia. Psychotropic drug consumption increases with age, except for psychostimulants, which have the highest utilization rate among 10-14-year-olds.
Authors: Guilherme V Polanczyk; Giovanni A Salum; Luisa S Sugaya; Arthur Caye; Luis A Rohde Journal: J Child Psychol Psychiatry Date: 2015-02-03 Impact factor: 8.982