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Patterns of Psychotropic Drug Use in a Spanish Rural Community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

J. L. Vázquez-Barquero ,
J. F. Diez Manrique ,
C. Peña ,
A. Arenal Gonzalez ,
M. J. Cuesta  and
J. A. Artal
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
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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
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 155 , Issue 5 , November 1989 , pp. 633 - 641
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1989 

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