Satriani Vittoria, Santoro Emanuela, Capunzo Mario, Ferrara Rosaria Flora, Manente Roberta, Santella Biagio, Franci Gianluigi, De Caro Francesco, Boccia Giovanni
Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, 84081 Salerno, Italy.
DAI Department of Health Hygiene and Evaluative Medicine, A.O.U. San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona, 84131 Salerno, Italy.
Life (Basel). 2025 Apr 16;15(4):652. doi: 10.3390/life15040652.
The COVID-19 lockdown had significant consequences on the mental health of millions of people, leading to the increasing prescription and use of psychotropic drugs. Due to the lack of data in the current literature, this study aims to estimate the trends in the consumption of anxiolytics, antipsychotics, and antidepressants before and during the pandemic on people in the South Italian region. We conducted a retrospective observational study, retrieving prescriptions of anxiolytics, antipsychotics, and antidepressants dispensed in pharmacies of the Basilicata region (South Italy) for the period 2019-2021. We presented the data, expressed in Daily Defined Doses (DDDs) for 1000 persons/day (DHD), on a total resident population of 95,021, dividing the age groups into categories <30, 30-50, 50-70, and >70 years. We conducted a linear regression model to examinate consumption trends across years. Software XLSTAT was used for statistical analysis. During the study period, more than 85,000 boxes of psychotropic medications were dispensed. The research showed an increase in the sales of all three categories of drugs examined, with a greater rise in benzodiazepines (88.5%) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (81.9%) in 2021 compared to 2019, especially among women under 30 years. The COVID-19 pandemic had led to an increase in the consumption of psychotropic drugs, confirming the significant impact on the population's mental health.
新冠疫情封锁对数以百万计的人的心理健康产生了重大影响，导致精神药物的处方量和使用量不断增加。由于当前文献中缺乏相关数据，本研究旨在估计意大利南部地区大流行之前和期间抗焦虑药、抗精神病药和抗抑郁药的消费趋势。我们进行了一项回顾性观察研究，检索了2019 - 2021年期间巴西利卡塔地区（意大利南部）药店配发的抗焦虑药、抗精神病药和抗抑郁药的处方。我们以每日限定剂量（DDD）/千人/天（DHD）表示数据，研究对象为95,021名常住人口，将年龄组分为<30岁、30 - 50岁、50 - 70岁和>70岁几类。我们进行了线性回归模型来检验多年来的消费趋势。使用XLSTAT软件进行统计分析。在研究期间，共配发了超过85,000盒精神药物。研究表明，所研究的三类药物的销售额均有所增加，与2019年相比，2021年苯二氮䓬类药物（88.5%）和选择性5-羟色胺再摄取抑制剂（81.9%）的增长幅度更大，尤其是在30岁以下的女性中。新冠疫情导致精神药物的消费增加，证实了其对民众心理健康的重大影响。
