ANTIDEPRESSANT-TREATED PATIENTS IN AMBULATORY CARE - LONG-TERM USE OFNON-PSYCHOTROPIC AND PSYCHOTROPIC-DRUGS

Background. Despite the problems involved in treating depression and c oncomitant medical disease, there are virtually no longitudinal studie s on drug utilisation among depressed patients. Method. Use of prescri ption drugs among all first-time users of antidepressants in a defined population five years before and six years after the index (first) tr eatment was compared to a referent group without antidepressant treatm ent. The generalised estimating equations (GEE) method was used for an alysis. Results. The antidepressant-treated group used considerably mo re non-psychotropic drugs during the whole study period than the refer ent group. They also used more psychotropic drugs, a use which increas ed in connection with the initiation of antidepressant treatment, and stayed high for a further five years. Conclusions. The high use of pre scription drugs indicated widespread somatic and psychiatric health pr oblems during the whole study period. Antidepressant-treated patients are at risk for drug interactions and adverse effects, and would benef it from a closer collaboration between psychiatry and medicine.