Prevalence of psychotropic use in a South Australian population.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of psychotropic medication use in a South Australian population.


METHODS
Face-to-face interviews with a random and representative sample of the South Australian population (at least 15 years of age) living in metropolitan and rural areas between March and June 2004.


RESULTS
From 4700 households selected, 3015 participants were interviewed (65.9% response rate). Of the respondents, 10.6% were taking psychotropic medications; psychotropic drug use was higher in females (14.4%) than in males (6.8%), and increased with age. Antidepressants were the most common category of psychotropics reported by respondents (6.8%), followed by anxiolytics (1.8%), hypnotics and sedatives (1.5%) and antipsychotics (0.6%). The majority (64.8%) of those respondents who were taking a tricyclic antidepressant were on a dose of 50 mg or less. Only 0.07% of respondents were taking lithium.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of psychotropic medications was higher than recently reported studies conducted in the UK, the USA, Europe and Canada. More detailed enquiry about the indication for such use appears desirable in order to ascertain whether higher use in this Australian population is clinically appropriate.
Goldney
Robert
R
University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia. robert.goldney@adelaide.edu.au
Bain
Marcus
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013021:South Australia / Q000453:epidemiology
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs