Abstract
Background: During the last few decades, the use of psychotropic medication by the general population has been a topic of scientific and public interest. However there have been few studies in Latin America to assess this situation.
Aims: To study the prevalence in use of psychotropic medication in the city of Santiago and the associations with sociodemographic and physical and mental health factors.
Methods: Cross-sectional survey of private households randomly chosen with a probabilistic sampling design.
Results: Three-thousand-eight-hundred-and-seventy subjects were interviewed. The overall prevalence of the use of psychotropic medication in Greater Santiago was 6.4% (95% CI). Sex, age, mental and physical health problems were all significantly associated with a higher prevalence of psychotropic medication use.
Conclusions: The prevalence of psychotropic use in the Greater Santiago area seems lower than in other cities. However similar socio-demographic and health factors were associated with the use of psychotropic medication as in other countries. There is a need to unify methodologies to be able to compare results internationally.
Aims: To study the prevalence in use of psychotropic medication in the city of Santiago and the associations with sociodemographic and physical and mental health factors.
Methods: Cross-sectional survey of private households randomly chosen with a probabilistic sampling design.
Results: Three-thousand-eight-hundred-and-seventy subjects were interviewed. The overall prevalence of the use of psychotropic medication in Greater Santiago was 6.4% (95% CI). Sex, age, mental and physical health problems were all significantly associated with a higher prevalence of psychotropic medication use.
Conclusions: The prevalence of psychotropic use in the Greater Santiago area seems lower than in other cities. However similar socio-demographic and health factors were associated with the use of psychotropic medication as in other countries. There is a need to unify methodologies to be able to compare results internationally.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 407-414 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Mental Health |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 2005 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Correspondence: Graciela Rojas, Hospital Clínico, Av. La Paz 1003, Santiago, Chile. E-mail: [email protected] Declaration of interest: This study was funded by the European Community and FONDECYT.
Keywords
- Psychotropic drugs
- Epidemiology
- Urban population
