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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 10/2005

01-10-2005 | Original Paper

Antidepressant utilization in Canada

Authors: Cynthia A. Beck, MD, MASc, Scott B. Patten, MD, PhD, Jeanne V. A. Williams, MSc, Jian Li Wang, MD, PhD, Shawn R. Currie, PhD, Colleen J. Maxwell, PhD, Nady El-Guebaly, MD

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 10/2005

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Abstract

Objective

Antidepressant utilization can be used as an indicator of appropriate treatment for major depression. The objective of this study was to characterize antidepressant utilization in Canada, including the relationships of antidepressant use with sociodemographic variables, past-year and lifetime depression, number of past depressive episodes, and other possible indications for antidepressants.

Method

We examined data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Cycle 1.2. The CCHS was a nationally representative mental health survey (N=36,984) conducted in 2002 that included a diagnostic instrument for past-year and lifetime major depressive episodes and other psychiatric disorders and a record of past-year antidepressant use.

Results

Overall, 5.8% of Canadians were taking antidepressants, higher than the annual prevalence of major depressive episode (4.8%) in the survey. Among persons with a past-year major depressive episode, the frequency of antidepressant use was 40.4%. After application of adjustments for probable successful outcomes of treatment, the estimated frequency of antidepressant use for major depression was more than 50%. Frequency of antidepressant treatment among those with a history of depression but without a past-year episode increased with the number of previous episodes. Among those taking antidepressants over the past year, only 33.1% had had a past-year episode of major depression. Migraine, fibromyalgia, anxiety disorder, or past depression was present in more than 60% of those taking antidepressants without a past-year episode of depression.

Conclusions

The CCHS results suggest that antidepressant use has increased substantially since the early 1990s, and also that these medications are employed extensively for indications other than depression.
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Metadata
Title
Antidepressant utilization in Canada
Authors
Cynthia A. Beck, MD, MASc
Scott B. Patten, MD, PhD
Jeanne V. A. Williams, MSc
Jian Li Wang, MD, PhD
Shawn R. Currie, PhD
Colleen J. Maxwell, PhD
Nady El-Guebaly, MD
Publication date
01-10-2005
Publisher
Steinkopff-Verlag
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 10/2005
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-005-0968-0

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