Antidepressant prevalence for youths: a multi-national comparison.
OBJECTIVE
To compare antidepressant prevalence data in youths across three western European countries (Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands) with US regional data in terms of age and gender and to show proportional subclass antidepressant (ATD) use.


METHODS
A population-based analysis of administrative claims data for the year 2000 was undertaken in 0 to 19-year-old enrollees who were part of the insured populations from four countries having a total of from 72,570 to 480,680 members.


RESULTS
ATD medication utilization in the US dataset (1.63%) exceeded that of three Western European countries (prevalence ranged from 0.11 to 0.54%) by at least 3-fold. There were major variations in the use of subclasses: tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) predominated in Germany while selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) predominated in the US, Denmark and the Netherlands.


CONCLUSIONS
Cross-national variations should be further explored to understand the factors related to these differences and how prevalence differences relate to effectiveness and safety. Community-based cohorts should be followed to establish outcomes in the usual practice setting.
Zito
Julie M
JM
University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. jzito@rx.umaryland.edu
Tobi
Hilde
H
de Jong-van den Berg
Lolkje T W
LT
Fegert
Joerg M
JM
Safer
Daniel J
DJ
Janhsen
Katrin
K
Hansen
Dorte Gilså
DG
Gardner
James F
JF
Glaeske
Gerd
G
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007344:Insurance Claim Reporting / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D017891:Pharmacoepidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors