Utilization of healthcare and psychotropic medication in elderly and non-elderly people with first self-poisoning episodes: A nationwide population-based cohort study
Journal
European Journal of Psychiatry
Journal Volume
34
Journal Issue
1
Pages
36-43
Date Issued
2020
Author(s)
Abstract
Background: We investigated health service use patterns before the first self-poisoning (SP) episodes by age groups and genders using a population-based datasets. Methods: We identified 3465 people with a verified discharge diagnosis of SP from 1997 to 2006. Physical disorders, psychiatric diagnoses, psychotropic prescriptions and health service use one year and one month before the episodes were compared by age groups and genders. Results: Women younger than 65 years old were found to seek non-psychiatric outpatient services more in the month prior to SP episode (female 61.7% vs. male 50.5%, p < 0.001), while their male counterparts contacted the emergency care more in the previous month (male 9.9% vs. female 6.7%, p = 0.002) and a year before the episode for the ones older than 65 (male 39.8% vs. female 29.3%, p = 0.006). Females younger than 65 years old were prescribed more antipsychotics, antidepressants, and anxiolytics, with nearly half of them receiving anxiolytics in a year prior to their first self-poisoning episodes. Conclusions: The current analysis suggested age and gender disparities on health service utilizations and prescriptions of psychotropic agents among patients with first self-poison behaviors. Studies about this gender disparity to generate intervention strategies for the prevention of self-poisoning at early stages are warranted. ? 2019 Asociaci?n Universitaria de Zaragoza para el Progreso de la Psiquiatr?a y la Salud Mental
Other Subjects
anticonvulsive agent; antidepressant agent; anxiolytic agent; benzodiazepine derivative; neuroleptic agent; aged; alcoholism; Article; cohort analysis; comparative study; controlled study; emergency care; female; groups by age; health care personnel; health care utilization; human; ICD-9-CM; major clinical study; male; mental health service; mood disorder; neurosis; outpatient care; self poisoning; sex difference
Type
journal article