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Infrequent use of antidepressants in depressed individuals (an interview and prescription database study in a defined Swedish population 2001–2002)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

S. Henriksson ,
R. Asplund ,
G. Boëthius ,
T. Hällström  and
G. Isacsson
S. Henriksson*
Affiliation:
Karolinska Institute, Clinical neuroscience, Section psychiatry, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
R. Asplund
Affiliation:
Family Medicine, Stockholm, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital Sweden and the Research and Development Unit, Jämtland County Council, Östersund, Sweden
G. Boëthius
Affiliation:
Tobacco Control Unit, Östersund Hospital, Östersund, Sweden
T. Hällström
Affiliation:
Karolinska Institute, Clinical neuroscience, Section psychiatry, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
G. Isacsson
Affiliation:
Karolinska Institute, Clinical neuroscience, Section psychiatry, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
*
*Corresponding author. Psychiatric Center Karolinska, Karolinska Hospital, S-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel.: +46 8 5177 6758; Mobile: +46 70 305 5456; fax: +46 8 30 3706. E-mail address: [email protected] (S. Henriksson).
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Abstract

Purpose:

To investigate whether antidepressants are over-used, under-used, or misused, by determining to what extent the depressed individuals in a defined population are treated with antidepressant medication and, from the other end, to what extent prescribed antidepressants are aimed for the treatment of depression.

Subjects and method:

From an individual based prescription database in the County of Jämtland, 2048 individuals representative for the general population were selected. The presence of current depression in these individuals was screened by a mailed self-screening questionnaire. Individuals with depression according to the questionnaire were interviewed by a psychiatrist using a structured interview (SCAN) to confirm the diagnosis. Their use of antidepressants was obtained from the prescription database.

Results:

Sixty-two (4.5%) out of 1375 were diagnosed with depression and 17 (27%) of these were taking an antidepressant. In addition 44 individuals, currently not depressed, were taking antidepressants. Twenty-five of these were interviewed per telephone and it was found that the indications for 18 of them were continuation treatment of depression, and for seven of them pain, sleep disturbance or anxiety.

Conclusion:

Antidepressants appear to be under-used in the population. Only one in four of the depressed individuals was treated with antidepressant medication. Those who had antidepressant medication without being currently depressed had, with few exceptions, either continuation treatment for depression in remission or treatment on other approved indications.

Keywords

DepressionPrevalenceAntidepressants
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 21 , Issue 6 , September 2006 , pp. 355 - 360
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier SAS 2006

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