Trends, Correlates, and Disease Patterns of Antidepressant Use Among Children and Adolescents in Taiwan

• Published in: Journal of Child Neurology 2013-06, Vol.28 (6), p.706-712
• Main Authors: Chien, I-Chia, Hsu, Yuan-Chang, Tan, Happy Kuy-Lok, Lin, Ching-Heng, Cheng, Shu-Wen, Chou, Yiing-Jenq, Chou, Pesus
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Factors; Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic - therapeutic use; Bipolar Disorder - drug therapy; Bipolar Disorder - epidemiology; Bipolar Disorder - ethnology; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depressive Disorder, Major - drug therapy; Depressive Disorder, Major - epidemiology; Depressive Disorder, Major - ethnology; Developing Countries; Drug Utilization - trends; Humans; Mental Disorders - drug therapy; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Disorders - ethnology; Psychotic Disorders - drug therapy; Psychotic Disorders - epidemiology; Psychotic Disorders - ethnology; Schizophrenia - drug therapy; Schizophrenia - epidemiology; Schizophrenia - ethnology; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Sex Factors; Taiwan
• ISSN: 0883-0738; 1708-8283
• DOI: 10.1177/0883073812450319

The authors used a population-based database to investigate antidepressant use among children and adolescents in Taiwan. The National Health Research Institutes provided a database of 1 000 000 random subjects for study. The authors adopted this sample of subjects who were younger than 18 years during 1997 to 2005. Subjects with at least 1 antidepressant prescription were identified. Trends, prevalence, associated factors, and disease patterns of antidepressant use were detected. The 1-year prevalence of pediatric antidepressant use increased from 0.27% in 1997 to 0.47% in 2005. The 1-year prevalence of tricyclic antidepressant, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, and other antidepressant use among pediatric population was 0.23%, 0.20%, and 0.08%, respectively, in 2005. The prevalence of pediatric antidepressant use increased from 1997 to 2005. Among pediatric subjects with antidepressant use, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and other antidepressants were used the most for psychiatric disorders, whereas tricyclic antidepressant was used the most for nonpsychiatric disorders.