IS ANTIDEPRESSANT USE CHANGING - PREVALENCE AND CLINICAL CORRELATES IN 2 NEW-ENGLAND COMMUNITIES

We attempted to determine whether the prevalence of antidepressant use had increased in population-based samples between 1981 and 1993, and compared the characteristics of antidepressant users and nonusers. Dat a were derived from six biennial, random sample, cross-sectional house hold surveys conducted between 1981 and 1993 in two southeastern New E ngland communities. For each survey, point prevalence estimates were d etermined for the major antidepressant categories. Antidepressant user s were most likely to be women, slightly older, and less likely to be employed than nonusers (p<0.0001). Comorbid conditions and concurrent drug therapy were present more frequently among users. The overall pre valence of antidepressant use per 1000 population increased from 7.8 ( 95% confidence interval 4.3, 11.3) in 1981-1982 to 31.4 (95% CI 23.9, 38.9) in 1992-1993, especially among women and respondents between age s 40 and 59 years.