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Gender and psychotropic drug use
1Institute for Health Policy, Heller Graduate School, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254-9110, USA. wastila@binah.cc.brandeis.edu
Medical Care
|February 7, 1998
Summary
Women are 55% more likely to receive psychotropic drugs during office visits than men. This difference is significant for anxiolytics and antidepressants, with varying predictors by gender.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Studies indicate higher psychotropic drug prescription rates for women.
- Limited research has explored specific gender differences in psychotropic drug use patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender disparities in overall psychotropic drug use.
- To analyze gender differences in the use of specific psychotropic categories: anxiolytics, sedative-hypnotics, antidepressants, and antipsychotics.
- To identify how factors influencing psychotropic drug use differ between genders.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 1989 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) data.
- Employed logistic regression to estimate psychotropic drug use probability.
- Conducted separate analyses for gender-specific predictors when gender was a significant factor.
Main Results:
- Women had a 55% higher probability of receiving any psychotropic drug compared to men, controlling for other variables.
- Gender significantly predicted the use of anxiolytics and antidepressants.
- Key predictors like diagnosis, physician specialty, and payment source varied by gender for anxiolytic and antidepressant use.
Conclusions:
- Confirms higher psychotropic drug prescription rates for women in office-based care.
- The observed gender difference in psychotropic drug use is specific to anxiolytics and antidepressants.
- Significant variations exist in the factors predicting psychotropic drug use between women and men.