Browsing by Subject "children"

Antidepressant use among children and adolescents has become more common in many countries. The prevalence of antidepressants is higher for boys but during adolescence girls’ have a higher antidepressant prevalence. In previous studies, the prevalence of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) has increased. The aim of this study was to investigate antidepressant use among Finnish children and adolescents aged 1–17 years during 2008–2019. The differences of antidepressant use in different age groups and genders were investigated. Furthermore, the secondary objective was to examine the trends in prevalence and costs of the five most commonly used antidepressant agents. This was a nation-wide register study. The data for this study was from Kelasto which is a statistical database maintained by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. The extracted data was from 2008–2018 and included each persons’ age, gender, dispensed drug and costs. The data extracted was for 1–17-year-olds who had been dispensed reimbursed antidepressants from community pharmacies. The data was analyzed with Microsoft Office’s Excel program. The results were transferred in to tables and reported as prevalences by age groups, genders, antidepressants and costs. The prevalence of antidepressant use among children and adolescents was 5,0 per 1000 in 2008 and it increased to 10,3 by 2018. In the youngest age group of 1–6-year-olds, antidepressant use decreased. Antidepressant use increased slightly among 7–12-year-olds. Antidepressant use increased the most among 13–17-year-olds. 13–17-year-old girls had the higher antidepressant use prevalence throughout the study. The same group had a 2,4-fold increase in prevalence during the study period which accounted for the biggest increase in the study. The most used group of antidepressants was SSRIs. The total cost for antidepressants among children and adolescents increased by 73,7 % during the study period. The most commonly used antidepressant agents were fluoxetine, sertraline, escitalopram, mirtazapine, and venlafaxine, respectively. Fluoxetine was the most used agent throughout the study. In 2014, sertraline surpassed escitalopram and became the second most used antidepressant agent. Escitalopram and venlafaxine’s cost per user decreased during the study. The cost per user stayed stable for mirtazapine. Fluoxetine and sertraline’s cost per user increased. The Kelasto database does not include data on indications for prescriptions. The prevalence of antidepressants does not necessarily correlate directly to depression among children and adolescents because antidepressants can be used to treat other diseases. More studies need to be conducted on different off-label uses for antidepressants among children and adolescents. This study only investigated the trends on cost for the five most commonly used antidepressants. Further studies on antidepressant costs among children and adolescents are needed. Additionally, it is essential to investigate the reasons for the increase in antidepressant use among children and adolescents.