[NISAS-2000: The "Nationwide Insomnia Screening and Awareness Study". Prevalence and interventions in primary care].
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the point prevalence of insomnia, recognition and prescription behavior in primary care.


METHODS
Nationwide sample of 539 primary care settings along with their characterization (stage 1). Standardized assessment of all attenders (N = 19.155 patients) on the NISAS target day using a sleep questionnaire (PSQI) and additional questions to cover psychosocial and additional clinical variables. All patients were evaluated by the primary care doctors using a standardized clinical appraisal questionnaire, including a CGI-rating.


RESULTS
Prevalence insomnia according to DSM-IV was 26.5%. Recognition of presence of any clinically significant sleep disorder was 72%, recognition of insomnia was poor 54.3%. 85.6% of insomnia patients were rated as chronic. Close to 50% of all insomnia cases did not receive a specific insomnia therapy. Herbals, followed by hypnotics and sedatives and antidepressants were the three most frequent treatments applied, psychotherapy was only seldomly indicated.


CONCLUSIONS
NISAS provides for the first time nationally representative estimates of interventions for insomnia in primary care. The relatively low treatment rates and the high proportion of chronic patients receiving longterm prescription of benzodiazepines seem to be critical. Priorities for future agenda to improve this situation are discussed.
Wittchen
H U
HU
Institut für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie der Technischen Universität Dresden und Max-Planck-Institut für Psychiatrie, Klin. Psychologie und Epidemiologie, München.
Krause
P
P
Höfler
M
M
Pittrow
D
D
Winter
S
S
Spiegel
B
B
Hajak
G
G
Riemann
D
D
Steiger
A
A
Pfister
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D029001:Herbal Medicine; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012737:Sex Factors; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D001569:Benzodiazepines
NISAS-2000: Die "Nationwide Insomnia Screening and Awareness Study." Prävalenz und Verschreibungsverhalten in der allgemeinärztlichen Versorgung.