Women's Use of Psychotropic Medication: A Community Survey

As a result of growing evidence of the increased consumption of psychotropic medication among women, a community development project was undertaken by an interagency group. In the spring and summer of 1977, a door-to-door survey was conducted to determine the extent of psychotropic drug use among women 18 years and older in the Borough of Etobicoke, Toronto. Findings revealed that approximately 15% of the women had used such medication in the previous 48 hours and approximately 24% had indicated use at any given time for common ailments such as anxiety and sleeplessness. The use of this type of medication was also found to be related to the women's age, marital status, employment status and health rating. Physicians in the community, social agencies and women's groups are now being urged to recognize the popularity of psychotropes as the panacea for many stressful situations and to give greater consideration to nonchemical solutions to these situations.