Browsing by Subject "nuoret aikuiset"

Many mental disorders, such as anxiety, mood and substance use disorders, become prevalent in adolescence and continue into young adulthood. Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental disorders in adolescents and approximately 6-13 % of adolescents and young adults suffer from them. Benzodiazepines have been used for the treatment of anxiety and sleep disorders for several years but they are not recommended for young patients due to risk of dependence and abuse. Nevertheless, benzodiazepines are also prescribed to treat mental disorders in children and adolescents under 18 -years of age. There is limited population-based evidence on the use of benzodiazepines among children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine related drugs as anxiolytics and hypnotics in the Finnish population aged 0-25 years during 2006-2014. Data of this study were obtained from the Prescription Register of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland covering reimbursed drug purchases of benzodiazepines (N03AE, N05BA, N05CD, N06CA01) and benzodiazepine related drugs (N05CF) dispensed to 0-25 year olds. Purchases of orally administered dosage forms were included in this study. The majority (97 %) of anxiolytic and hypnotic users in the group of 0-25 year olds were 16-25-year-old adolescents and young adults. Use of anxiolytics and hypnotics among 16-25-year-olds decreased from the prevalence 19.9 / 1 000 to 15.9 / 1 000 inhabitants during the years 2006-2014. There were also decrease in incidence and prevalence of long-term use. The prevalence of long-term use among young adults decreased from 5.5 / 1 000 in 2006 to 3.3 / 1 000 young adults in 2014. The majority of anxiolytic and hypnotic users were females but long-term use was more common in males than in females. There was a decrease in use of almost every studied drug. Oxazepam was the only drug with increased number of users during the study period. Use of benzodiazepines as anxiolytics and hypnotics has decreased among adolescents and young adults since 2008 in Finland. Furthermore, long-term use of these drugs has decreased among young adults. Results indicate that rational drug therapy has been paid more attention in recent years which was reflected in decreased use of benzodiazepines.