title: Drug use patterns in young German women and association with mental disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a lack of data about drug use patterns in young women. Mental disorders may influence those drug use patterns.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate drug use patterns (prescribed drugs, self-medication) in general and in relation to the prevalence rates of mental disorders in young German women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2064 women (18-24 y old), obtained in a random clustered sample, were asked about their actual and former medication use. Moreover, a structured psychological interview (Diagnostic Interview for Mental Disorders) was conducted with each woman to evaluate the prevalence of mental disorders (according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oral contraceptives (55.9%), thyroid preparations (7.1%), respiratory system drugs (9.4%), and nervous system drugs (8%) were the most commonly used medications. Only 10% of the women with one or more mental disorders used psychotropic medication. As expected, women with mental disorders were significantly more likely to use antidepressants and psycholeptic agents (ie, sedatives/hypnotics, antipsychotics) than were women without any mental disorder. However, there were no significant differences in use of pain medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study indicate an apparently inadequate supply of drugs acting on the nervous system for women with mental disorders in Germany. Further studies on different age and gender groups are needed. It is important to evaluate the prevalence of diseases and drug use at the same time so as to identify deficits in drug therapy and optimize prescription and self-medication use.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, TU Dresden, Germany. Isabel.Hach@mailbox.tu-dresden.de
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hach
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rentsch
authors.forename: Uwe E
authors.initials: UE
authors.lastname: Ruhl
authors.forename: Eni S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Veneta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Türke
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Margraf
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kirch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012651:Self Medication / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs