Impact of the COVID-19 health crisis on psychotropic drug use in children and adolescents in France

Background: In 2019, the world faced a pandemic brought about by a severe acute respiratory infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus. The spread of this virus has profoundly affected societies, particularly in terms of their economic, human and social dimensions, as well as their healthcare systems. Several restrictive measures (reduced social interaction, periodic school closures,…) had to be taken to contain the spread of the virus. These measures have had an impact on the psychological well-being of both adults and children. The aim of this study was to assess the changes in psychotropic drugs prescriptions for children and adolescents living in Limousin, a French region, over the period 2018 to 2021.

Methods: The consumption of psychotropic drugs was studied using a national database of drug reimbursement. These data were extracted and supplied from the nationwide French reimbursement healthcare system database (SNDS). The following therapeutic classes were studied: N05A (antipsychotics), N05B (anxiolytics), N05C (hypnotics and sedatives), N06A (antidepressants) and N06B (psychostimulants). Data were collected for insured persons under the age of 18 who received at least one reimbursement for a psychotropic drug between 2018 and 2021.

Results: Over a 4-year period, 7949 patients under the age of 18 were included with an average age of 12.1 years and a sex ratio of 0.97 M/F. The number of patients increased from 2018 to 2021, as did the number of reimbursements. We observed a statistically significant difference of means of patients reimbursed per week for on five therapeutic classes, with the greatest difference in 2021 (p < 0.0001). An increase in the number of patients of between + 20.7% and + 689% was observed, depending on the drug classes studied. Comparisons between the COVID-19 and pre-COVID-19 periods showed a significantly higher COVID average for psychotropic drugs reimbursements in general and individually for all classes except psychostimulants.

Conclusion: The results show a significant increase in the consumption of psychotropic drugs among youth. The increase in psychotropic drug use was continuous and progressive throughout the pandemic. All five classes were increased, but particularly anxiolytics and antidepressants. The COVID-19 context may have been at the origin of a deterioration in the mental health of children and adolescents, or of a heightened awareness of psychiatric care among young people.