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Some factors related to the use of psychoactive drugs, in an institution for adults with mental handicap
Author(s) -
Harlow P.,
Morton S.,
Wright E.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/hup.470050105
Subject(s) - medicine , staffing , antipsychotic , psychiatry , mental handicap , psychotropic drug , audit , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , pediatrics , drug , nursing , management , economics
A 1‐day audit (on 11 March 1985) of the psychotropic drugs prescribed for 1084 institutionalized adults with mental handicap in a long‐stay hospital is reported. The relevance of staffing levels, chronological age, sex and mental level is considered. Of the 1084 patients, 35 per cent were 17–44 years old and 65 per cent were 45 years or older; 51 per cent were severely and 40 per cent were profoundly mentally retarded; 23 per cent received antiepileptic drugs; 22 per cent received antipsychotic drugs. The hospital's nurse:patient ratio was nationally recognized as among the worst in England. There was no evidence that a low staffing level was associated with a high level of antipsychotic drug use, but there was an inverse relationship to age, and to mental level. Significantly more women than men received antipsychotics/anxiolytics, antidepressants or hypnotics/sedatives.