The use of psychotropic medication in patients referred to a psycho‐oncology service

Cullivan, Rachael; Crown, John; Walsh, Noel

doi:10.1002/(sici)1099-1611(199807/08)7:4<301::aid-pon367>3.3.co;2-9

Cited by 7 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Only two studies detailed the proportion of prescriptions by different medical specialties . In Cullivan et al study ( n = 16/63), oncologists were the most common prescriber (46%).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Table summarises in detail the reviewed studies in alphabetical order by first author's surname, divided into cross‐sectional, case‐control (data extracted for cancer cases only) or cohort studies (last reported time‐point used). Further data extracted included the following: duration of study; sample size; patient average/median age; sample setting; who prescribed antidepressants; prevalence rate of antidepressants; type and number of antidepressants (Table ) .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A systematic review and meta‐analysis of prescribing practices of antidepressants in cancer patients

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Antidepressants are commonly used for the pharmacological treatment of depression. We aimed to summarise the prevalence of antidepressant prescription to cancer patients, and differences by study or patient characteristics.Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus and psychINFO were searched using keywords 'psychotropic', 'antidepressants', 'prescription' and 'cancer'. Prevalence of antidepressants, type, dose and follow-up of antidepressants and prescriber details were extracted.Results: Overall, 1537 articles between 1979 and February 2015 were found, 38 met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed according to PRISMA guidelines. The prevalence rate of prescribing antidepressants to cancer patients was 15.6% (95% CI = 13.3-18.3). Prescription was significantly less common in studies from Asia (7.4%; 95% CI = 4.3-12.5), more common in female (22.6%; 95% CI = 16.0-31.0) or breast cancer patients (22.6%; 95% CI = 16.0-30.9). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were the most frequently prescribed antidepressants. General practitioners and psychiatrists, followed by oncologists, were identified as the major providers of antidepressant prescriptions to cancer patients. Few studies reported the exact dose, length of time drugs were prescribed for or follow-up regimens.Conclusions: There is considerable variation in the prescribing patterns of antidepressants across the world, with few studies reporting robust data on exact dose or follow-up regimens. Prospective studies that monitor antidepressant prescribing, including details of reasons for prescribing and the healthcare providers involved, dose, change in dose or type of medication and follow-up are needed to ascertain whether patients are being treated optimally and if side effects or drug-drug interactions are identified and managed.

show abstract

“…Only two studies detailed the proportion of prescriptions by different medical specialties . In Cullivan et al study ( n = 16/63), oncologists were the most common prescriber (46%).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A systematic review and meta‐analysis of prescribing practices of antidepressants in cancer patients

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Psychological distress and mood disorders are highly prevalent in cancer settings, and pharmacological treatment, in the form of psychotropic medicines, is commonplace in oncology practice . In our study cohort, approximately one in six antidepressant‐naive cancer patients commenced treatment with an overall initiation rate of 9.0/100 person‐years.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While there is a growing body of research investigating the prevalence of depression in cancer patients, relatively few studies have investigated the uptake or patterns of antidepressant therapy in these populations . This is despite exponential growth in antidepressant prescribing in modern medical practice, publication of evidence‐based guidelines for treatment of depression in cancer patients and use of antidepressants in the oncology setting to manage anxiety, insomnia and pain …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antidepressant therapy in cancer patients: initiation and factors associated with treatment

Pearson

Abrahamowicz

Srasuebkul

et al. 2015

Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

New antidepressant treatment is more common in cancer populations than in cancer-free populations. Treatment was most commonly initiated around diagnosis time, a period when cancer drug treatments also commence. The timing of peak antidepressant uptake suggests treatment may be for short-term adjustment reactions, better managed without drugs. Durations of treatment are shorter than recommended for depression.

show abstract

“…Studies have shown that psychopharmacological agents are helpful in managing fatigue, nausea, anxiety, and depression among cancer patients . However, few studies have described the use of psychotropic medicines in oncology , and no national study has described the use of psychotropic medications in the growing American population of cancer survivors (which has now reached about 12 million) . Accordingly, this study has two primary goals: (i) to describe national utilization of psychotropic medications by adult cancer survivors in the USA and (ii) to estimate the extra use of psychotropic medications by US cancer survivors that is attributable to cancer survivorship.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of psychotropic medications by US cancer survivors

Punekar¹,

Short

Moran

2011

Psycho-Oncology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives To describe national utilization of psychotropic medications by adult cancer survivors in the U.S. To estimate the extra use of psychotropic medications that is attributable to cancer survivorship. Methods Prescription data for 2001 to 2006 from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) were linked to data identifying cancer survivors from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the MEPS sampling frame. The sample was limited to adults 25 years of age and older. Propensity score matching was used to estimate the effects of cancer survivorship on utilization of psychotropic medications, by comparing cancer survivors and other adults in MEPS. Utilization was measured as any use during a calendar year and the number of prescriptions purchased (including refills). Analyses were stratified by gender and age, distinguishing adults younger than 65 from those 65 and older. Results Nineteen percent of cancer survivors under age 65 and 16% of survivors 65 and older used psychotropic medications. Sixteen percent of younger survivors used antidepressants; 7% used anti-anxiety medications. For older survivors, utilization rates for these two drug types were 11% and 7% respectively. The increase in any use attributable to cancer amounted to 4-5 percentage points for younger survivors (p<.05) and 2-3 percentage points for older survivors (p<.05), depending on gender. Conclusion Increased use of psychotropic medications by cancer survivors, compared to other adults, suggests that survivorship presents ongoing psychological challenges.

show abstract

The use of psychotropic medication in patients referred to a psycho‐oncology service

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

A systematic review and meta‐analysis of prescribing practices of antidepressants in cancer patients

A systematic review and meta‐analysis of prescribing practices of antidepressants in cancer patients

Antidepressant therapy in cancer patients: initiation and factors associated with treatment

Use of psychotropic medications by US cancer survivors

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About