title: Pattern of psychotropic drug use among older adults having a depression or an anxiety disorder: results from the longitudinal ESA study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To document the use of psychotropic drugs in Quebec older adult population with a depressive or anxiety disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the Enquête sur la Santé des Aînés (ESA) study conducted between 2005 and 2008 using a representative sample (n = 1869) of community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older were used to examine the use of psychotropic drugs in the Quebec older adult population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results indicate that only 46.9% of the older adults with a diagnosis of depression or anxiety during the 24-month period studied according to the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Quebec (RAMQ) register used antidepressants (AD) for 400 days (12.9 months) on average during this period. Also, 59% of the RAMQ's mental health disorder patients used a mean daily dose of 5 mg of a diazepam equivalent for 338 days (10.9 months) on average during the same period. However, 10.0% of the older adults without any symptoms (ESA) at T1 and at T2 and any RAMQ depression and anxiety diagnosis between T0 and T2 were AD users during the 24-month period studied. They represent 26.2% of the AD users and consumed them for 494 days (15.9 months) on average during the 24-month period studied. Finally, the number of days of AD and benzodiazepine use was not associated with partial or total remission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This result questions the population effectiveness of these drugs in this population.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec; Researcher, Research Centre, Charles LeMoyne Hospital, Greenfield Park, Quebec. michel.preville@usherbrooke.c
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Préville
authors.forename: Helen-Maria
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Vasiliadis
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bossé
authors.forename: Pierre-Alexandre
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Dionne
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Voyer
authors.forename: Joëlle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brassard
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D001569:Benzodiazepines