A multicenter retrospective study of antidepressant use in outpatient clinics in China pre- and post-COVID

期刊论文
发表日期：

2024年8月14日

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Mengqiang Zhao,
Luyao Chang,
Jing Yu,
Jianxin Wang,
Yang Song,
Shi Su,
Chaoli Chen,
Yang Lun,
Fangfang Cheng,
Yuanyuan Zhao,
Chunhua Zhou

摘要

Background

Analyzing antidepressant prescribing in real-world settings can provide clinicians and health policymakers valuable information.

Aim

This epidemiological study examined the status and trends in antidepressant prescribing among the Chinese population from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2022.

Method

A retrospective study was conducted in three hospitals. Data were collected 2.5 years before and 2.5 years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed the number of patients diagnosed with depression and their corresponding antidepressant prescriptions. Using the chi-square test, stratified analyses were performed to explore the characteristics of these prescriptions in different ages and sexes.

Results

The study included 124,355 patients and 400,840 antidepressant prescriptions. We observed fluctuating upward trends in the number of patients and antidepressant prescriptions. Post-COVID-19, the number of patients increased by 37.1% compared to the pre-pandemic period, and the number of antidepressant prescriptions rose by 88.3%. The three most frequently prescribed antidepressants for adolescents were sertraline, citalopram, and escitalopram. Among adults, citalopram, escitalopram, and sertraline were most common, while in older adults, citalopram, escitalopram, and mirtazapine were predominant. Male patients used mirtazapine, venlafaxine, paroxetine, bupropion, fluvoxamine, vortioxetine, and clomipramine more frequently compared to female patients, who were more likely to be prescribed citalopram, flupentixol/melitracen, agomelatine, and fluoxetine. Antidepressant monotherapy represented 76.6% of prescriptions, with the most common combination being antidepressants and anxiolytics.

Conclusion

Over the past 5 years, both the number of patients and antidepressant prescriptions have shown upward trends, and the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted prescribing. Understanding the changes in antidepressant prescriptions can identify adherence to national guidelines.