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Three decades of antidepressant, anxiolytic and hypnotic use in a national population birth cohort

Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge

Michael E. J. Wadsworth, PhD

Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London Medical School, London

Tim J. Croudace, PhD and Peter B. Jones, PhD

Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

Correspondence: Professor Peter B. Jones, Department of Psychiatry, Box 189, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK. Tel: +44(0)1223 336 961; fax: +44(0)1223 336968; e-mail: pbj21{at}cam.ac.uk

Declaration of interest None.

Funding detailed in Acknowledgements.

Background Psychotropic medication use is common and increasing. Use of such drugs at the individuallevel over long periods has not been reported.

Aims To describe antidepressant, anxiolytic and hypnotic drug use, and associations between such medication use and common mental disorder, over a 22-year period.

Method Questions about psychotropic medication use and symptoms of common mental disorder were asked of more than 3000 members of the 1946 British birth cohort at multiple time points between ages 31 and 53 years.

Results Prevalence of any antidepressant, anxiolytic or hypnotic use increased significantly from 1977 (30.6 per 1000) to 1999 (59.1 per 1000) as the cohort aged. Less than 30% with mental disorder used antidepressants, anxiolytics or hypnotics. Previous use of antidepressant, anxiolytic or hypnotic was a strong predictor of future use during an episode of mental disorder (odds ratios 3.0-8.4); this association became weaker over time.

Conclusions Pharmacotherapy is infrequently used by individuals with common mental disorder in Britain; this has not changed in the past three decades.

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				I. Colman, T. J. Croudace, M. E. J. Wadsworth, D. Kuh, and P. B. Jones Psychiatric outcomes 10 years after treatment with antidepressants or anxiolytics The British Journal of Psychiatry, October 1, 2008; 193(4): 327 - 331. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Tyrer From the Editor's desk The British Journal of Psychiatry, May 1, 2008; 192(5): 400 - 400. [Full Text] [PDF]