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New Study Reveals Ongoing Rise in Psychotropic Drug Use Among Children and Young Adults in Denmark
A comprehensive Danish study highlights a sustained and significant increase in the use of medication for ADHD, depression, and sleep disorders among 12-24-year-olds. The number of new users of these medications has risen from 18,081 in 2019 to 28,083 in 2023.
The use of medication for mental disorders surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this trend has persisted. The study analysed data from the Danish National Prescription Registry and assessed trends in psychotropic drug use up to December 2023 among children and young adults aged 5 to 24 years.
“If anyone expected the increase observed during the pandemic to be temporary, we now see that the rise continues, even though all restrictions have long been lifted,” says Mette Bliddal, one of the study's authors and an associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark.
She further explains: “Notably, the use of medication for ADHD and sleep disorders has increased significantly. This rise is most pronounced among girls and young women aged 12 to 24. There is also a noticeable increase in the use of medication for anxiety and depression.”
In the study, recently published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, researchers identified all individuals aged 5 to 24 who filled their first prescription for a psychiatric medication. They compared the monthly number of new psychotropic drug users after February 2022, when all restrictions were lifted, with a forecast based on the expected number of new users had the pandemic not occurred.
Lack of Explanation for the Increase
The study does not provide an explanation for why we are seeing this increase. Chief Physician Tine Houmann, from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center in the Capital Region of Denmark, who was not involved in the study, has read the research from the University of Southern Denmark. She states, “Currently, we see a growing number of children with autism spectrum disorders accompanied by anxiety and sleep problems in the clinic. This could explain the rise in the use of sleep medication and antidepressants for anxiety treatment.”
She continues, “In terms of ADHD, it should be noted that improved identification and increased awareness, particularly among girls and young adults, may have contributed to the rise in the use of ADHD medication. Additionally, increased anxiety and poor well-being can worsen existing symptoms, leading to diagnosis and treatment.”
“Denmark has a low use of psychotropic drugs for children and young people compared to, for example, Sweden, where there are significantly more child and adolescent psychiatrists. The increase we have observed in recent years may be due to greater awareness of mental illness among girls and young women. However, it may also be that the psychological distress this group experienced during the pandemic has not subsided and increasingly requires medical treatment," says research leader and associate professor Rikke Wesselhöft from the Research unit of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, a co-author of the study.
“We cannot determine from our study why there is this increase in the use of psychotropic drugs. Therefore, we should further investigate who is being prescribed the medication and why. We need to find out how to best help them, whether the increase is due to better diagnosis or more children and young people experiencing distress that requires medical treatment,” concludes Mette Bliddal.
About the study
- The study was conducted by researchers from Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, the Research Unit OPEN, and the Research unit of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, and the University of Southern Denmark.
- Compared to the forecast based on pre-pandemic data (before February 2020), there was a relative increase of 36% in children and young adults who filled a psychiatric prescription after the pandemic (from March 2022). This corresponds to 13,620 more new users than expected. The relative increase was highest for ADHD medication (59% increase), sleep medication (56% increase), and antidepressants (24% increase).
- The increase was most pronounced among girls and young women and in the 12-17 and 18-24 age groups across all medication categories.
- The study used data on filled prescriptions for psychiatric disorders from the the Danish National Prescription Registry for all individuals in Denmark aged 5-24 years.
Meet the researcher
Mette Bliddal, Associate Professor at Research Unit OPEN, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark
Meet the researcher
Rikke Thaarup Wesselhöft, Associate Professor at Research Unit of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark