title: Treatment with antidepressant medications in private health plans.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health Services Research, New England Research Institutes Inc., Watertown, MA 02472, USA. mjlarson@neriscience.com
authors.forename: Mary Jo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Kathleen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Fleming
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents