title: Persistent use of psychotropic drugs in nursing home residents in Norway.
abstract: The prevalence of psychotropic drug (PTD) use in NH residents is high, but few have explored prevalence and persistency in PTD in NH residents and factors associated with persistency. This at the same time as we know that risk of side events may be higher with long- term use in older adults. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and persistence in use of PTD and to explore factors associated with persistence in use of PTD at two consecutive time points in nursing home (NH) residents.
  
  
  
  We included 1163 NH residents in a 72-month longitudinal study with five assessments. Use of PTD, neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), severity of dementia and physical health were assessed each time.
  
  
  
  The prevalence over time and persistent use of antipsychotic drugs, antidepressants, anxiolytics and sedatives at two consecutive time points were high in residents with and without dementia. There was an association between greater NPS at the first time point, and persistent use of these drugs, but changes in NPS between time points, did not explain such use. A longer NH stay increased the odds for persistent use of antipsychotics.
  
  
  
  Psychotropic drugs are frequently used as a long-term treatment among NH residents and are associated with severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms, but not with severity of dementia. Closer attention should be paid to follow-up of psychotropic drug treatment, and especially for long -term use of antipsychotics, since the duration of such treatment should be as short as possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Postboks 8905, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway. anne-sofie.helvik@ntnu.no.|St Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. anne-sofie.helvik@ntnu.no.|Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Ageing and Health, Vestfold Health Trust, Tønsberg, Norway. anne-sofie.helvik@ntnu.no.
authors.forename: Anne-Sofie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Helvik
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, Campus Ahus, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.|HØKH, Research Centre, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway.|Centre for Old Age Psychiatric Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad, Norway.
authors.forename: Jūratė
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Šaltytė Benth
authors.affiliation: Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, New York, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Bei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Ageing and Health, Vestfold Health Trust, Tønsberg, Norway.
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Engedal
authors.affiliation: Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Ageing and Health, Vestfold Health Trust, Tønsberg, Norway.|Centre for Old Age Psychiatric Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad, Norway.|Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Geir
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Selbæk
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D009735:Nursing Homes; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: ATC; Dementia; Geriatrics; Long-term-use; Neuropsychiatric symptoms; Old age; Older adults