Prescription psychotropic medication use among the U.S. adult population: results from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994.
OBJECTIVE
We estimated prescription psychotropic medication use among US adults.


METHODS
We examined household interview data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994) for persons 17 years and older (n=20,050).


METHODS
An estimated 10 million adults (5.5%) reported psychotropic medication use during a 1-month period. The use of anxiolytics, sedatives, and hypnotics (ASH) was most common (3.2%), followed by antidepressants (2.3%), antipsychotics (0.7%), and antimanics (0.1%). Psychotropic medication use was more prevalent among women than men (P<.001), non-Hispanic whites than non-Hispanic blacks (P<.001) and Mexican Americans (P<.001), and older rather than younger age groups (P<.001). Psychotropic medication use was also most common among those below the federal poverty level, those with no high school education, and among insured persons. Only 1% of adults used two or more psychotropic medications monthly.


CONCLUSIONS
Many adults use psychotropic medications on a monthly basis. ASH users comprised the largest proportion of psychotropic medication users. Patterns of use varied by several socio-demographic factors.
Paulose-Ram
Ryne
R
Division of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3311 Toledo Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782, USA. RPaulose@cdc.gov
Jonas
Bruce S
BS
Orwig
Denise
D
Safran
Marc A
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs