Læknablaðið - okt. 2019, Blaðsíða 16

432 LÆKNAblaðið 2019/105
Background: According to research findings, the financial crisis
hitting Iceland in the autumn of 2008 caused both economic and
health-related effects on the Icelandic population. It has been well
known that the Icelandic population uses more antidepressants,
anxiolytics and hypnotics compared to other Nordic countries. The
aim of this research was to study the trend in prescription for these
drugs by the Primary Health Care of Reykjavik capital area to young
adults, during the years prior to and following the crisis.
Method: In this cross-sectional study, data were gathered on all
medical prescriptions of antidepressants, anxiolytics and hypnotics,
prescribed by the Primary Health Care of Reykjavik capital area to
people aged 18-35, during 2006-2016. While Reykjavík capital res-
idents in the specified age group were approximately 55 thousand
during the research period, this study included data on approxima-
tely 23 thousand individuals, received from the Icelandic electron-
ical medical record system “Saga” used by the Primary Health Care.
Results: Research results demonstrate a significant average annu-
al increase of prescribed defined daily doses (DDD) for all three
medication categories during the research period; 3% (p<0,001) for
anxiolytics, 1.6% (p<0,001) for hypnotics and 10.5% (p<0,001) for
antidepressants. Between 2008-2009, prescribed daily doses of
anxiolytics increased by 22.7% (p<0,001), where a 12.9% (p<0,001)
increase was seen for women and 39.5% (p<0,001) increase for
men. Of those men who were prescribed anxiolytics in 2009, 35%
had no history of such prescriptions the previous year. From 2006-
2008 an average annual increase of 13.6% (p<0,001) was seen in
prescribed daily doses of hypnotics, whereof 24.4% (p<0,001) incr-
ease was seen for men and 7.8% (p<0,001) for women.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates a significant increase in
prescribed amount of hypnotics and anxiolytics during the years
prior and after the economic crisis, with more prominent results
amongst men compared to women. This trend was however not
observed for antidepressants, which could suggest an overall
tendency towards short- and fast acting drug prescriptions as a
treatment for challenging difficult personal circumstances during
the economic crisis in Iceland.
Antidepressants, anxiolytics and hypnotics prescribed to young
adults before and after an economic crisis in Iceland
– A cross-sectional study at the Primary Health Care of Reykjavik capital area
ENGLISH SUMMARY
1Department of Family Medicine, University of Iceland, 2Primary Health Care of the Capital Area, Reykjavik, Iceland, 3Development Centre for Primary Healthcare in Iceland.
Key words: Drug prescriptions, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, economical crisis.
Correspondence: Emil Lárus Sigurðsson, emilsig@hi.is
Árni Arnarson1
Jón Steinar Jónsson1,2,3
Margrét Ólafía Tómasdóttir1,2
Emil Lárus Sigurðsson1,2,3
DOI: 10.17992/lbl.2019.10.250