Sociodemographic and geographical variation in prescribing psychotropic drugs to children and young people with common mental disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorders in North West London: population-based study.
cross_sectional · Level IV
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41290291.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-094149 and PMC identifier 12645602.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
To estimate the sociodemographic and geographical variation in prescribing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to children and young people (CYP) in North West London, UK. Cross-sectional population-based study. General practices in North West London, UK, with data for the period 2020-2022 obtained from the Discover Now platform, which covers approximately 95% of the local population. 762 390 CYP aged 5-24 years in the year 2022. Primary outcome: Prescription rates of SSRIs and ADHD medications. Associations between prescription rates and sociodemographic factors, including age, gender, geographical area (local authority), ethnicity and socioeconomic deprivation (measured using the Index of Multiple Deprivation). The total sample comprised 762 390 CYP. 2.20% of the sample were prescribed an SSRI (95% CI 2.17% to 2.24%) and 0.50% an ADHD medication (95% CI 0.49% to 0.52%) in years 2020-2022. High deprivation was associated with the highest rates of an SSRI prescription (2.5%). In contrast, low deprivation was associated with the highest rates of an ADHD medication prescription (0.70%). This divergent pattern was evident in some London boroughs and not in others. The relationship between level of area deprivation and prescription rates also differed by borough. Overall, the sociodemographic factors could not explain most of the variation in prescription rates (Pseudo R<sup>2</sup> 0.18 for SSRI and 0.06 for an ADHD medication). Prescriptions for common mental disorders and ADHD for CYP from North West London varied by sociodemographic characteristics and London borough of residence, potentially exacerbating mental health inequalities. To monitor and address these inequalities, more extensive use of linked electronic health records should be undertaken; for example, data on mental health diagnosis and service utilisation are needed to investigate the relationship between diagnosis and treatment over time.
Medical subject headings
- Psychotropic Drugs
- Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
- Mental Disorders
- Sociodemographic Factors
- Drug Prescriptions