Summary: The number of older adults taking at least three psychiatric drugs has doubled over the past decade, a recent U.S. study suggests, while the mental health crisis in the U.S. worsens.
The number of annual doctor visits for patients 65 and over who take at least three psychiatric drugs surged from 1.5 million in 2004 to 3.68 million in 2013.
This is not among patients with diagnoses like depression, anxiety, or insomnia, but rather in patients with no mental health diagnosis.
An aging brain may have more difficulty maintaining 'normal' function. As you add additional chemicals that influence the brain, it causes negative side effects.
These drugs can help with insomnia and pain, but are often unnecessary. Routinely taking several of these drugs together can be dangerous. ‘
Half the patients taking three psychiatric drugs did not have pain or a mental health condition.
Drug cocktails were much more commonly prescribed by family practitioners than by psychiatrists.
A limitation of the study was that researchers lacked data on whether medications were prescribed “as needed” for short-term use or for routine use.
Patients and families should exercise caution when considering whether to take more than one psychiatric medicine at a time.
Many older adults have memory difficulties and sometimes forget to take medications as prescribed.
Bibliography
JAMA Intern Med. Published online February 13, 2017. oi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.9225
National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2013 NAMCS micro-data file documentation.
Takayanagi Y, Spira AP, Bienvenu OJ, et al. Antidepressant use and lifetime history of mental disorders in a community sample: results from the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2015;76(1):40-44.
Currin JB, Hayslip B Jr, Schneider LJ, Kooken RA. Cohort differences in attitudes toward mental health services among older persons. Psychotherapy. 1998;35(4):506-518.
Edited by: Riva Choudry
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