Psychiatric and physical illness, sociodemographic characteristics, and the use of psychotropic drugs in the community: results from the Upper Bavarian Field Study.

In the Upper Bavarian Field Study a total of 1536 persons (15 years and older) were interviewed by research psychiatrists. 8.1% of all respondents took a psychotropic drug during the 7 days prior to the interview. The consumption rate among women was about three times as high as that for men. The use of psychotropic drugs increased with age. No consistent pattern was found with respect to social class. According to psychiatric/physical health status the highest consumption rate (29.4%) was found among those suffering solely from psychiatric disorders. The simultaneous occurrence of both psychiatric and physical disorder did not increase the risk of drug taking (21.4%). Less than 5% of the healthy respondents and of those suffering solely from a physical disorder used psychotropic drugs. A large proportion (63.0%) of those with previous psychiatric in- and outpatient treatment received psychotropic medication, as well as those suffering from schizophrenia (66.7%), affective psychoses (52.6%) and anxiety disorders (50.0%). The higher consumption of psychotropic drugs among women could not be explained by higher psychiatric or physical morbidity or the fact that women consult primary care physicians more frequently than do men. Controlling for co-morbidity and annual consultation of family physicians, significant sex differences in the consumption of psychotropic drugs persist.