Treatment with antidepressant medications in private health plans.
This study analyzed 2002 MarketScan data from a convenience sample of enrollees with private health insurance from the largest U.S. firms to examine utilization, expenditures, and factors associated with antidepressant prescriptions. Of enrollees, 11% received at least one antidepressant prescription during the year with average expenditures per enrollee of $51.55. Antidepressant prescriptions were more frequently used than any form of other mental health care and for 42% of users was not associated with any clearly identified mental health or "off-label" indication. In logistical regression analyses, health plan type, prescription days supply, gender, region, age, employment status, and subscriber status were associated with unexplained antidepressant prescription use.
Larson
Mary Jo
MJ
Institute for Health Services Research, New England Research Institutes Inc., Watertown, MA 02472, USA. mjlarson@neriscience.com
Miller
Kay
K
Fleming
Kathleen J
KJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019992:Databases as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017149:Private Sector; D014481:United States
D000928:Antidepressive Agents