Aims: To present the results of an epidemiologic research about psychotropic drug use in Sardinia.
Methods: Cross-sectional study on a sample of 1040 subjects randomly selected from registers.
Setting: Community survey on three areas of Sardinia region.
Evaluation: Interviews carried out by physicians by means of Italian version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Simplified. Drug consumption was evaluated concerning last week before the interview.
Main outcome measures: Point prevalence.
Results: The rate of adults of the general population that consumed benzodiazepines was 10.1%, antidepressants 4.2%, 14.7% of the sample was using psychotropic drugs. 60% of subjects with diagnosis of ICD-10 Depressive Episod did not have the right pharmacologic treatment. A relevant proportion of subjects without lifetime psychiatric diagnosis (anxiety and/or depression) used antidepressants (0.8%). The pharmacologic therapies were managed by psychiatrics in 44.2% of cases, antidepressants were managed by general practitioners in 31.8% of subjects.
Conclusions: The research underlines an increase of meet needs in subjects affected by depressive episodes against a previous Sardinian survey carried out over ten years ago. This change is parallel to a more frequent management of therapies by general practitioners. Their role seems to become more relevant in treating depressive illness.