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Antidepressant prevalence for youths: a multi‐national comparison
Author(s) -
Zito Julie M.,
Tobi Hilde,
de Jongvan den Berg Lolkje T.W.,
Fegert Joerg M.,
Safer Daniel J.,
Janhsen Katrin,
Hansen Dorte Gilså,
Gardner James F.,
Glaeske Gerd
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.023
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1099-1557
pISSN - 1053-8569
DOI - 10.1002/pds.1254
Subject(s) - medicine , antidepressant , pharmacoepidemiology , demography , population , psychiatry , environmental health , medical prescription , pharmacology , anxiety , sociology
Objective To compare antidepressant prevalence data in youths across three western European countries (Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands) with US regional data in terms of age and gender and to show proportional subclass antidepressant (ATD) use. Method A population‐based analysis of administrative claims data for the year 2000 was undertaken in 0 to 19‐year‐old enrollees who were part of the insured populations from four countries having a total of from 72,570 to 480,680 members. Results ATD medication utilization in the US dataset (1.63%) exceeded that of three Western European countries (prevalence ranged from 0.11 to 0.54%) by at least 3‐fold. There were major variations in the use of subclasses: tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) predominated in Germany while selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) predominated in the US, Denmark and the Netherlands. Conclusions Cross‐national variations should be further explored to understand the factors related to these differences and how prevalence differences relate to effectiveness and safety. Community‐based cohorts should be followed to establish outcomes in the usual practice setting. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.