title: Ten-year trends in the pharmacological treatment of insomnia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess patterns of pharmacological treatment of insomnia during the period 1987-1996.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from the National Disease and Therapeutic Index (NDTI; IMS America, Ltd., Plymouth Meeting, PA) which samples office-based physicians in 24 specialties. Drug mentions, a measure of patient contacts in which drug therapy is recommended, with a physician-indicated desired action of "promote sleep" or "sedative night" were compiled for each year. Z-scores were calculated to determine statistical differences over time for total drug mentions, drug mentions by category (hypnotics, non-hypnotic benzodiazepines, antidepressants, or other), and for some individual drugs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total drug mentions for the treatment of insomnia fell 24.4% from 1987 to 1996. From 1987 to 1996 hypnotic mentions decreased 53.7%, antidepressants increased 146%, "other" drugs decreased by 63.2%, and benzodiazepine non-hypnotics remained relatively unchanged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since 1987, overall pharmacological treatment of insomnia has decreased substantially although surveys indicate a stable or increasing prevalence of sleep disturbance. There has also been a dramatic shift to use of antidepressants in lieu of hyponotics for the symptomatic treatment of insomnia despite a paucity of data regarding their efficacy and the potential for serious side effects.
authors.affiliation: Unity Sleep Medicine and Research Center, St. Luke's Hospital, Chesterfield, Missouri 63017, USA.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Schweitzer
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D001569:Benzodiazepines