title: [Use of psychotropic drugs in mentally handicapped adults].
abstract: Type and frequency of psychotropic drug treatment have been analysed in the case of 1154 institutionalized and non-institutionalized mentally retarded adults. The psychotropic drug prevalence amounts to 21.7%, only about one half of corresponding rates in other studies; possible causes of this result are discussed. Neuroleptics are prescribed most frequently by far, succeeded by anxiolytics. The psychotropic drug prevalence is significantly related to age, sex, and setting. A comparison of the psychotropic drug treatment of 1980 with that of 1986 above all shows a distinctly rarer prescription of anxiolytics and hypnotics as well as a decrease of polypharmacy in 1986.
authors.affiliation: Klinik Blankenburg, Oldenburg.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Meins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D005860:Germany, West; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
vernacular_title: Psychopharmakogebrauch bei geistig behinderten Erwachsenen.