FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J.,
Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- What
could be a sign of America's psychological state of mind, a new
report shows more than one-in-five adult Americans took at least
one medication commonly used to treat a psychiatric or behavioral
disorder in 2010. Women's use was even higher, with
one-in-four on a mental health-related drug last year. That's
according to "America's State of Mind," a Medco Health
Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS) analysis of trends in mental health
medication usage among approximately 2.5 million insured
Americans, comparing utilization of antidepressants,
antipsychotics, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
drugs and anti-anxiety treatments from 2001 to 2010.
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The report finds that women of all ages take more mental health
medications than their male counterparts. Antidepressants are
by far the most commonly utilized, with over 20 percent of women on
a drug typically prescribed to treat depression. Anxiety
treatments are also widely used by women and at almost twice the
rate of men; the greatest use is found among middle-aged women
(45-65 years old), 11 percent of whom were on an anti-anxiety drug
last year.
While many more boys than girls are prescribed treatments for
ADHD, once they grow up that picture changes dramatically.
Overall, the number of women on ADHD drugs was 2.5 times
higher than in 2001- overtaking men in their use of these drugs.
The most striking jump was seen in 20-44 year old women whose
numbers rose 264 percent in ten years.
"Over the past decade, there has been a significant uptick in
the use of medications to treat a variety of mental health
problems; what is not as clear is if more people - especially
women, are actually developing psychological disorders that require
treatment, or if they are more willing to seek out help and
clinicians are better at diagnosing these conditions than they once
were," said Dr. David Muzina, a
psychiatrist and national practice leader of the Medco Neuroscience
Therapeutic Resource Center®. "Women are generally more
frequent users of healthcare, but they may also be bearing the
emotional brunt of a decade that started with the horror of 9/11
and since has seen several wars and economic turmoil."
While women are the predominant users of atypical
antipsychotics, there has been a huge upswing in utilization of
these drugs among males as well, quadrupling in men ages 20-64
since 2001.
"The overall results, that substantially more individuals are on
psychotropic medications is sobering and important.
Understanding the reasons for this increase is the next
critical goal," said Dr. Martha
Sajatovic, Professor of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
and Director of the Neurological Outcomes Center, University
Hospitals Case Medical Center. "The health care implications
could be substantial given increasing financial constraints on
individuals and health care funding entities."
Children's Use of Antipsychotics Spikes, Antidepressant Use
Falls
The number of children (19 and younger) on mental health drug
treatments was up in all areas over the past ten years, with
antidepressants being the one exception – dropping substantially
since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warnings in
2004 on risks of suicidal ideation linked to these drugs in
children. Use of ADHD drug use has also been on the decline in both
boys and girls since 2005. Boys are the primary users of ADHD
drugs and atypical antipsychotics, while a greater number of girls
take antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs.
While the actual prevalence of children on atypical
antipsychotics is low (under one percent), the number doubled from
2001 to 2010.
"The fact that more children are being treated with atypicals is
concerning given that substantial weight gain is highly associated
with the use of these drugs in this population, putting children at
risk for diabetes and heart disease-related conditions," said Dr.
Muzina. "When using these drugs, children need to be
monitored on a frequent basis to prevent against these serious
health risks."
Surging Rx Use in Younger Adults
Among adults, those ages 20-44 showed the greatest spikes in the
use of mental health drugs over the decade for three of the four
medication categories.
In addition to more than tripling their use of ADHD medications
since 2001, the 20-44 age group also saw significant spikes in
utilization of atypical antipsychotics (248 percent) and their use
of anti-anxiety treatments was up nearly 30 percent. From the start
of the decade, the number of men in this demographic on a mental
health medication grew at a faster clip than their female
counterparts - up 43 percent versus 25 percent.
Elderly Show Mixed Pattern of Use
Older women are most apt to use an antidepressant, with nearly
24 percent of those over 64 taking these medications. They
also had the greatest jump in use of antidepressants since 2001,
posting a 40 percent increase their numbers. Their use of atypical
antipsychotics has been on the rise since as well, up 88 percent
since the start of the decade. However, there was a steep decline
in the number of elderly women taking anti-anxiety medications,
down 47 percent from a decade ago.
Diabetes Belt Shows Heavy Use of Mental Health Drugs
The analysis reviewed regional use of mental health medications
in 2010 and found the highest numbers of patients on mental health
medications (23 percent) in the east south central region of the
U.S., part of the "diabetes belt" that includes Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi and Alabama. The area where the fewest people are
prescribed mental health treatments (15 percent) is in the east
north central region which includes Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan.
"Studies have shown that people with diabetes do have higher
levels of depression and anxiety disorders so it's not surprising
that we see great use of mental health-related medications in the
'diabetes belt' region, said Dr. Muzina. "It's not clear
however, what the relationship is which is why it's especially
important that patients with diabetes be monitored for symptoms of
depression and anxiety and vice versa. Having a coordinated
care team is extremely important for these patients."
Patients suffering from behavioral health disorders along with
other related conditions benefit from the expertise of Medco's
specialist pharmacists who have advanced training and expertise in
these and other health conditions including diabetes,
cardiovascular disease, pulmonary conditions and cancer.
Diabetes specialist pharmacists assist in the care of
patients with depression and diabetes to ensure they receive the
proper diabetes treatment. Specialist pharmacist are also
better equipped to identify and address medication adherence
problems which is especially important for those with mental health
conditions since research shows these patients are more prone to
poor adherence with medications used to treat comorbidities such as
diabetes, asthma and heart disease and, in general, have poorer
health outcomes.
About America's State of Mind Analysis
America's State of Mind analysis was based on a random sample of
a cohort from Medco's de-identified database of those with 24
months of continuous prescription drug insurance enrollment and
eligibility (12 months in the year of interest and 12 months in the
prior year). Sampling was stratified by age, sex and region
to match the demographics of the larger cohort. The
probability sample reflects the prevalence of prescription drug use
in a commercially insured, primarily private sector population with
stable coverage and employment.
To access the America's State of Mind report, please
visit www.medco.com/media.
About Medco
Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS) is pioneering
The world's most advanced pharmacy® and its clinical
research and innovations are part of Medco making medicine
smarter™ for approximately 65 million members.
With more than 20,000 employees worldwide dedicated to improving
patient health and reducing costs for a wide range of public and
private sector clients, and 2010 revenues of $66 billion, Medco ranks 34th on the 2011 Fortune
500 list and is named among the world's most innovative, most
admired and most trustworthy companies.
For more information, go to http://www.medcohealth.com.
SOURCE Medco Health Solutions, Inc.