Treatment duration with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors among children and adolescents in Finland: a nationwide register study

Saastamoinen, Leena; Wallin, Mika; Lavikainen, Piia; Airaksinen, Marja; Sourander, André; Bell, Jane

doi:10.1007/s00228-012-1233-6

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 39 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Our study findings suggest that Australia's medicine policy could be strengthened to better support young people, as evidenced by the actions taken by other countries. For example, financial reimbursement for medication used to manage severe and persistent mental illness, such as psychoses, is provided for children and adolescents in Finland [45]. In countries with similar healthcare systems to Australia, medications are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and for young people under 16 years in England [46].…”

Section: Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medication management in the context of mental illness: an exploratory study of young people living in Australia

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Young people face significant challenges when managing a mental illness, such as acquiring treatment autonomy, being inexperienced users of the healthcare system and associated peer-related stigma. While medication use can be challenging in its own right, there is comparatively little information about the associated experiences and needs of young people with mental illness, particularly in the Australian context. This exploratory study will provide valuable insight into how this group is currently supported in relation to medication use. Methods: Young people (aged 14-25 years) who had used a prescription medication for any mental illness for a minimum of 2 months were eligible to participate in this qualitative exploratory study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between October 2017-September 2018 in consultation rooms at two youth-focused mental health support organisations in Brisbane, Queensland. Interview questions explored how participants managed their medication and related experiences. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and descriptively analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Eighteen young people discussed their lived experience during interviews averaging 50 min in duration. Finding the right medication that reduced symptom severity with minimal side-effects was identified as a complex experience for many, particularly when there was a lack of information, support or reduced financial capacity. Young people described a range of strategies to manage medication side-effects, changes and to support routine medication use. Conclusions: Young people persevered with taking medication to manage a mental illness within a healthcare system that does not adequately support this vulnerable population. There remains a clear directive for healthcare professionals to provide credible information that proactively engages young people as healthcare participants, and for policy makers to consider financial burden for this population with limited financial capacity.

show abstract

Section: Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medication management in the context of mental illness: an exploratory study of young people living in Australia

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Use of SSRIs among Danish children: a nationwide study

Pottegård

Zoëga

Hallas

et al. 2014

Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Our objective was to describe the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the entire Danish population of children and adolescents from 1995 to 2011. Data on filled SSRIs were obtained for all children in Denmark aged 5-17 during 1995-2011. The amount and type of SSRIs filled were calculated as well as incidence rates and prevalence proportions. Furthermore, we looked at concurrent use of other psychotropic drug treatment duration. A total of 23,547 children aged 5-17 used SSRIs during the study period, most commonly sertraline followed by citalopram. Overall, the incidence rate increased from 0.57 per 1,000 person years in 1997 to 3.30 in 2010 and fell to 2.55 in 2011, while the prevalence proportion rose from 0.1 per 1,000 children at the end of 1995 to 3.3 at the end of 2011. However, these findings were driven entirely by an increase among adolescents (12-17 years), where the prevalence proportion rose from 0.11 and 0.36 to 4.64 and 8.52 per 1,000 boys and girls, respectively. A significant proportion of SSRI users used other psychotropic drugs concurrently, most notably antipsychotics (12-28 %) and psychostimulants (10-33 %). About 50 % of adolescents and 40 % of children discontinued treatment within 12 months of initiation. We found a marked increase in the use of SSRI drugs among adolescents in Denmark between 1995 and 2011. Whether this increase reflects a true increase in disorder occurrence, an increase in diagnostic intensity or more aggressive treatment remains uncertain.

show abstract

Treatment patterns of antidepressants in children and adolescents in Scandinavia

Rasmussen,

Jensen,

Reutfors

et al. 2024

Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of this study was to examine variations in use of antidepressants among children and adolescents in the three Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway, and Denmark). We identified new users of antidepressants (5–17 years) during 2007–2018 and described the annual incidence rate, treatment duration, concomitant psychotropic drug use, and the clinical setting of the prescribing physician (in Sweden and Denmark). Incident use of antidepressants increased by a factor 1.9 in Sweden, 1.3 in Norway and decreased by a factor 0.6 in Denmark during the study period. In Sweden, 58% of antidepressant users were covered by a prescription 12 months after initiation compared to 40% in Norway and 49% in Denmark. Also, 34% of Swedish antidepressant users were in continuous treatment after 12 months compared to 26% in Norway and 31% in Denmark. Concomitant use of other psychotropics was more common in Sweden (57%) than in Norway (37%) and Denmark (27%). During 2007–2018, clinicians from psychiatry settings initiated 75% of antidepressant treatments in Sweden, while this was the case for 50% of prescriptions in Denmark, although the proportion increased over time. The number of new antidepressant users is high and still rising in Sweden compared to Norway and Denmark. Swedish antidepressant users are more likely to use other psychotropics and to be covered by an antidepressant prescription after one year. Most antidepressants in Sweden are prescribed by physicians within psychiatric settings suggesting that they are based on specialized psychiatric evaluation.

show abstract

Treatment duration with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors among children and adolescents in Finland: a nationwide register study

Abstract: Shorter treatment duration was less common among younger children, when initiated from September to November and among recipients of a higher reimbursement rate.

Cited by 7 publications

References 39 publications

Medication management in the context of mental illness: an exploratory study of young people living in Australia

Medication management in the context of mental illness: an exploratory study of young people living in Australia

Use of SSRIs among Danish children: a nationwide study

Treatment patterns of antidepressants in children and adolescents in Scandinavia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About