Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-07T17:22:09.324Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Patterns of Psychotropic Drug Use in a Spanish Rural Community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

J. L. Vázquez-Barquero*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Nacional Hospital Valdecilla, Cantabria Medical School, University of Cantabria, Spain
J. F. Diez Manrique
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Nacional Hospital Valdecilla, Cantabria Medical School, University of Cantabria, Spain
C. Peña
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Nacional Hospital Valdecilla, Cantabria Medical School, University of Cantabria, Spain
A. Arenal Gonzalez
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Nacional Hospital Valdecilla, Cantabria Medical School, University of Cantabria, Spain
M. J. Cuesta
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Nacional Hospital Valdecilla, Cantabria Medical School, University of Cantabria, Spain
J. A. Artal
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Nacional Hospital Valdecilla, Cantabria Medical School, University of Cantabria, Spain
*
Servicio de Psiquiatria y Psicologia Medica, Hospital National Valdecilla, Facultad de Medicina, Santander – 39008, Spain

Abstract

Psychotropic drug use was investigated using a two-stage survey of a random sample of persons aged 17 and over from a rural Spanish community. It was found that 6.9%, 11.8% and 25.1% of the population were consuming psychotropic, analgesic and somatic medicines respectively. Women presented a higher rate of psychotropic use than men (prevalence for women 10.7%, for men 2.6%). This female predominance was found to be significantly related to sociodemographic and medical factors. Psychotropic use was also associated with the physical health of the respondent. The coexistence of physical and mental illness generated an increase of consumption, whereas the absence of both types of illness was associated with a very low rate. The rates for physical and for mental illness alone were intermediate and were almost equal.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1989 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Balter, M. B., Levine, J. & Manheimer, D. I. (1974) Cross-national study of the extent of anxiety/sedative drug use. New England Journal of Medicine, 290, 769774.Google Scholar
Bebbington, P., Huray, J., Tennant, C., et al (1981) Epidemiology of mental disorders in Camberwell. Psychological Medicine, 11, 561579.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, G. W. & Harris, T. (1978) Social Origins of Depression: a Study of Psychiatric Disorders in Women. London: Tavistock.Google Scholar
Cafferata, G. L., Kasper, J. & Bernstein, A. (1986) Family roles, structure, and stressors in relation to sex differences in obtaining psychotropic drugs. In Tranquillizers: Social, Psychological and Clinical Perspectives (eds J. Gabe & P. Williams). London and New York: Tavistock Publications.Google Scholar
Cooperstock, R. (1971) Sex differences in the use of mood modifying drugs: an explanatory model. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 12, 238244.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooperstock, R. (1978) Sex differences in psychotropic drug use. Social Science and Medicine, 12, 179186.Google Scholar
Cooperstock, R. & Parnell, P. (1982) Research on psychotropic drug use: a review of findings and methods. Social Science and Medicine, 16, 11791196.Google Scholar
Craig, T. S., & Van Natta, P. A. (1978) Current medication use and symptoms of depression in a general population. American Journal of Psychiatry, 135, 10361039.Google Scholar
Gabe, J. & Thorogood, N. (1986) Tranquillizers as a resource. In Tranquillizers: Social, Psychological and Clinical Perspectives (eds J. Gabe & P. Williams). London and New York: Tavistock Publications.Google Scholar
Gabe, J. & Williams, P. (1986) Rural tranquility? Urban-rural differences in tranquillizer prescribing. Social Science and Medicine, 22, 1095–1066.Google Scholar
Goldberg, D. P. & Williams, P. (1988) A User's Guide to the General Health Questionnaire – GHQ. Windsor: Nefer–Nelson.Google Scholar
Grimsson, A., Idänpään-Heikkila, J., Lunde, P. K. M., et al (1979) The utilization of psychotropic drugs in Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. In Studies in Drug Utilization: Methods and Applications (eds U. Bergman, A. Grimsson, A. H. W. Wahba, et al). WHO Regional Publications, European Series, No. 8. Copenhagen: WHO.Google Scholar
Gullick, E. L. & King, L. J. (1979) Appropriateness of drugs prescribed by primary care physicians for depressed out-patients. Journal of Affective Disorders, 1, 5558.Google Scholar
Harris, G., Latham, J., McGuinness, B., et al (1977) The relationship between psychoneurotic states and psychoactive drug prescription in general practice. Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 27, 173177.Google Scholar
Helman, G. C. (1986) ‘Tonic’, ‘fuel’, and ‘food’: social and symbolic aspects of the long-term use of psychotropic drugs. In Tranquillizers: Social, Psychological, and Clinical Perspectives (eds J. Gabe & P. Williams). London, New York: Tavistock Publications.Google Scholar
Jefferys, M., Brotherston, J. H. F. & Cartwright, A. (1960) Consumption of medicines on a working-class housing estate. British Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine, 14, 6467.Google Scholar
Kessler, R. C. (1979) Stress, social status, and psychological distress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 20, 259272.Google Scholar
Marks, J. (1983) The benzodiazepines: an international perspective. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 15, 137149.Google Scholar
Mellinger, G. D., Balter, M. B. & Manheimer, D. I. (1971) Patterns of psychotherapeutic drug use among adults in San Francisco. Archives of General Psychiatry, 25, 385394.Google Scholar
Mellinger, G. D., Balter, M. B., Manheimer, D. I. et al (1978) Psychiatric distress, life crisis, and use of psychotherapeutic medications. Archives of General Psychiatry, 35, 10451052.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murray, J., Dunn, G., Williams, P., et al (1981) Factors affecting the consumption of psychotropic drugs. Psychological Medicine, 11, 551560.Google Scholar
Siegel, S. (1978) Estadistica no Parametrica Aplicada a las Ciencias de la Conducta. Mexico: Editorial Trillas.Google Scholar
Skegg, D. C. G., Doll, R. & Perry, J. (1977) Use of medicine in general practice. British Medical Journal, i, 15611563.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tognoni, G., Bellantuono, C. & Lader, M. (1981) Epidemiological Impact of Psychotropic Drugs. Amsterdam: Elsevier/North Holland Biomedical Press.Google Scholar
Uhlenhuth, E. H., Balter, M. B. & Lipman, R. S. (1978) Minor tranquilizers: clinical correlates of use in an urban population. Archives of General Psychiatry, 35, 650655.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vazquez-Barquero, J. L., Muñoz, P. E. & Madoz, J. V. (1981) The interaction between physical illness and neurotic morbidity in the community. British Journal of Psychiatry, 139, 328335.Google Scholar
Vazquez-Barquero, J. L., Muñoz, P. E., Madoz, J. V. (1982) The influence of the process of urbanization on the prevalence of neurosis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 65, 161170.Google Scholar
Vazquez-Barquero, J. L., Diez Maurique, J. F., Peña, C., et al (1986) Two stage design in a community survey. British Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 8897.Google Scholar
Vazquez-Barquero, J. L., Diez Maurique, J. F., Peña, C., et al (1987a) A community mental health survey in Cantabria: a general description of morbidity. Psychological Medicine, 17, 227241.Google Scholar
Vazquez-Barquero, J. L., Diez Maurique, J. F., Peña, C., et al (1987b) Depresion y ansiedad: perfiles sociodemograficos diferenciales en la poblacion general. Actas Luso Españolas de Neurologia y Psiquiatria, 15, 95109.Google Scholar
Vazquez-Barquero, J. L., Diez Maurique, J. F., Peña, C., et al (1988) The influence of sociocultural factors on the interaction between physical and mental disturbances in a rural community. Social Psychiatry Psychiatric Epidemiology, 23, 195201.Google Scholar
Vazquez-Barquero, J. L., Diez Maurique, J. F., Peña, C., et al (1989) Psicotropos y analgesicos: su autoconsumo en la poblacion general. Actas Luso Españolas de Neurologia y Psiquiatria (in press).Google Scholar
Weissman, M. M. & Klerman, G. L. (1977) Sex differences and the epidemiology of depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 34, 98112.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, P. (1978) Physical ill-health and psychotropic drug prescription: a review. Psychological Medicine, 8, 683693.Google Scholar
Williams, P. (1979) The extent of psychotropic drug prescription. In Psychosocial Disorders in General Practice (eds P. Williams & A. Clare). London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Williams, P. (1980) Recent trends in the prescribing of psychotropic drugs. Health Trends, 12, 67.Google Scholar
Wing, J. K., Cooper, J. E. & Sartorius, N. (1974) Measurement and Classification of Psychiatric Symptoms. London: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Wing, J. K. & Sturt, E. (1978) The PSE-ID-CATEGO System: A Supplementary Manual. Mimeo. London: Institute of Psychiatry.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.