OUTPATIENT TREATMENT OF ADOLESCENTS WITH ANTIDEPRESSANTS IN JAPAN
Author(s)
Inagaki A1, Nishimura Y2, Otsuka H2, Hirakawa H2, Hatou K2, Kubota Y3, Watanabe Y3, Miki K3, Endoh Y4
1Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan, 2Japanese Association of Mental Health Services, Tokyo, Japan, 3Japanese Association of Neuro-Psychiatric Clinics, Tokyo, Japan, 4Institute of Neuropsychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
OBJECTIVES: To examine antidepressant prescription patterns in Japanese children and adolescents. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey during October 2013 on outpatients, aged 19 or less, in 34 private mental clinics. Patients who were prescribed at least one antidepressant were analyzed in this report. Data on gender, age, principal psychiatric diagnosis (based on ICD-10), and types and doses of psychotropic drugs were extracted. RESULTS: The samples consisted of 137 males and 170 females. The average age (standard deviation) was 16.2 years (2.5). The mean length of psychiatric treatment was 23.6 months (23.3). The most frequent diagnostic category was neurotic disorders (F4; n=113), followed by mood disorders (F3; n=73), disorders of psychological development (F8; n=67), behavioral and emotional disorders (F9; n=22), schizophrenic spectrum disorders (F2; n=18), and other diagnoses (n=14). Among the 19 antidepressants available in Japan, the prescription rate of fluvoxamine (42.3%; n=130) was the highest, followed by sertraline (17.6%), duloxetine (10.4%), escitalopram (9.8%), trazodone (6.5%), and paroxetine (5.5%). Tricyclic or tetracyclic antidepressants (TCAs) were prescribed in 35 patients (11.4%). Two or more antidepressants were prescribed concurrently in 27 (8.8%) of the 307 patients. Anxiolytics/hypnotics were concurrently prescribed in 126 (41.0%). Mood stabilizers were co-prescribed in 35 (11.4%). Antipsychotics were concurrently prescribed in 134 (43.6%), with a median dose of 100mg/d chlorpromazine equivalent. CONCLUSIONS: In Japan, although augmentation of antidepressant treatment seemed relatively popular with antipsychotics in adolescent patients, antipsychotic doses might be relatively low.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2014-09, ISPOR Asia Pacific 2014, Beijing, China
Value in Health, Vol. 17, No. 7 (November 2014)
Code
PMH33
Topic
Health Service Delivery & Process of Care
Topic Subcategory
Prescribing Behavior
Disease
Mental Health