Psychotropic medication use and accidents, injuries and cognitive failures

Psychotropic medication has the potential to impair psychomotor and cognitive function, and several medications have well documented links to increased accident and injury susceptibility. Those developed more recently have many fewer side effects. However, there is little work examining any association between psychotropic medication use and safety within the context of other demographic, health and lifestyle factors.

To examine and compare any associations between psychotropic medication use (including benzodiazepines, tricyclics and SSRIs) and accidents, injuries and cognitive failures in a community sample.

A postal questionnaire survey was conducted among people selected at random from the electoral registers of Cardiff and Merthyr Tydfil.

Psychotropic medication use was associated with accidents, injuries and cognitive failures, particularly among those who already had higher levels of other risk factors and/or continuing mental health problems.

The well established associations between accidents and injuries and older psychotropic medications were replicated. SSRIs, however, were relatively safer. The study also highlighted the need to consider any effect of psychotropic medication within the context of both mental health status and other factors.