Use of hypnotic drugs among Scandinavian children, adolescents, and young adults
Introduction Hypnotic drug use in children and adolescents is widely debated. Objectives To describe use of hypnotic drugs (melatonin, z-drugs and sedating antihistamines) among 5-24-year-old Scandinavians during 2012 to 2018. Methods Aggregate-level data from public data sources in Sweden, Norwa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2022-06-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822002504/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797616221255892992 |
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| author | R. Wesselhøft L. Rasmussen P. Jensen P. Jennum S. Skurtveit I. Hartz J. Reutfors P. Damkier M. Bliddal A. Pottegård |
| author_facet | R. Wesselhøft L. Rasmussen P. Jensen P. Jennum S. Skurtveit I. Hartz J. Reutfors P. Damkier M. Bliddal A. Pottegård |
| author_sort | R. Wesselhøft |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
Hypnotic drug use in children and adolescents is widely debated.
Objectives
To describe use of hypnotic drugs (melatonin, z-drugs and sedating antihistamines) among 5-24-year-old Scandinavians during 2012 to 2018.
Methods
Aggregate-level data from public data sources in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. We calculated annual prevalence (users/1000 inhabitants) stratified by sex, age group and country. Quantity of use (Defined Daily Dose (DDD)/user/day) was estimated for Norway and Denmark.
Results
Melatonin was most frequently used, with an increase from 2012 to 2018 in all countries. Sweden presented the highest rise (7 to 25/1,000) compared to Denmark (6 to 12/1,000) and Norway (10 to 20/1,000). The increase was strongest for females and 15-24-year-olds. Melatonin use was twice as common for males under age 15 years, and slightly more common for females thereafter. The annual prevalence of sedating antihistamine use doubled from 7 to 13/1,000 in Sweden, whereas it was more stable in Norway and Denmark, reaching 8/1,000 and 3/1,000, respectively. Z-drug use decreased in all countries, lowering to 4/1,000 in Sweden and Norway in 2018 and 2/1,000 in Denmark. The quantity of hypnotic use in Norway and Denmark was 1 DDD/user/day for melatonin, as compared to 0.1-0.3 for z-drugs and antihistamines.
Conclusions
There is an increasing use of melatonin and sedating antihistamines among Scandinavian children, adolescents and young adults. The increase is more pronounced in Sweden compared to Norway and Denmark. This Scandinavian discrepancy could reflect variation in frequency of sleep problems or national variation in clinical practice or health care access.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:37:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a37d3311270e4fbea2e8946246a96e6a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:37:15Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-a37d3311270e4fbea2e8946246a96e6a2023-11-17T05:09:14ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852022-06-0165S82S8310.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.250Use of hypnotic drugs among Scandinavian children, adolescents, and young adultsR. Wesselhøft0L. Rasmussen1P. Jensen2P. Jennum3S. Skurtveit4I. Hartz5J. Reutfors6P. Damkier7M. Bliddal8A. Pottegård9Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, Child And Adolescent Psychiatry Odense, Odense C, DenmarkClinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Institute Of Public Health, Odense C, DenmarkClinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Institute Of Public Health, Odense C, DenmarkDanish Center for Sleep Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen N, DenmarkNorwegian Institute of Public Health, Department Of Mental Disorders, Oslo, NorwayNorwegian Institute of Public Health, Department Of Mental Disorders, Oslo, NorwayKarolinska Institutet, Medicine Solna, Stockholm, SwedenOdense University Hospital, Dept. Of Clinical Biochemistry And Pharmacology, Odense C, DenmarkClinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Institute Of Public Health, Odense C, DenmarkClinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Institute Of Public Health, Odense C, Denmark Introduction Hypnotic drug use in children and adolescents is widely debated. Objectives To describe use of hypnotic drugs (melatonin, z-drugs and sedating antihistamines) among 5-24-year-old Scandinavians during 2012 to 2018. Methods Aggregate-level data from public data sources in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. We calculated annual prevalence (users/1000 inhabitants) stratified by sex, age group and country. Quantity of use (Defined Daily Dose (DDD)/user/day) was estimated for Norway and Denmark. Results Melatonin was most frequently used, with an increase from 2012 to 2018 in all countries. Sweden presented the highest rise (7 to 25/1,000) compared to Denmark (6 to 12/1,000) and Norway (10 to 20/1,000). The increase was strongest for females and 15-24-year-olds. Melatonin use was twice as common for males under age 15 years, and slightly more common for females thereafter. The annual prevalence of sedating antihistamine use doubled from 7 to 13/1,000 in Sweden, whereas it was more stable in Norway and Denmark, reaching 8/1,000 and 3/1,000, respectively. Z-drug use decreased in all countries, lowering to 4/1,000 in Sweden and Norway in 2018 and 2/1,000 in Denmark. The quantity of hypnotic use in Norway and Denmark was 1 DDD/user/day for melatonin, as compared to 0.1-0.3 for z-drugs and antihistamines. Conclusions There is an increasing use of melatonin and sedating antihistamines among Scandinavian children, adolescents and young adults. The increase is more pronounced in Sweden compared to Norway and Denmark. This Scandinavian discrepancy could reflect variation in frequency of sleep problems or national variation in clinical practice or health care access. Disclosure No significant relationships. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822002504/type/journal_articlepharmacoepidemiologyChild and adolescentmelatonindrug utilisation |
| spellingShingle | R. Wesselhøft L. Rasmussen P. Jensen P. Jennum S. Skurtveit I. Hartz J. Reutfors P. Damkier M. Bliddal A. Pottegård Use of hypnotic drugs among Scandinavian children, adolescents, and young adults European Psychiatry pharmacoepidemiology Child and adolescent melatonin drug utilisation |
| title | Use of hypnotic drugs among Scandinavian children, adolescents, and young adults |
| title_full | Use of hypnotic drugs among Scandinavian children, adolescents, and young adults |
| title_fullStr | Use of hypnotic drugs among Scandinavian children, adolescents, and young adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Use of hypnotic drugs among Scandinavian children, adolescents, and young adults |
| title_short | Use of hypnotic drugs among Scandinavian children, adolescents, and young adults |
| title_sort | use of hypnotic drugs among scandinavian children adolescents and young adults |
| topic | pharmacoepidemiology Child and adolescent melatonin drug utilisation |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822002504/type/journal_article |
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