Background: There is an increased use of antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications as an aftermath of unfavorable conditions such as the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need to estimate its use during this period.
Aims and Objectives: This study will help to find out the changing trend in the pattern of the use of antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications in outpatients over a 4-year period including the COVID-19 pandemic period in Kolkata.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive, observational, record-based study was conducted in Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. The data of consumption daily defined doses (in DDDs) of antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs and data of total patient load in all the outpatient departments were obtained. The antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs use was calculated in DDD/1000/patients/day for the years 2018–2021.
Results: There was sharp decrease in the aggregate use of antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications in the year 2020, which coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by sharp increase in their aggregate use in the year 2021.
Conclusion: The change in the trend of use of antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications was observed from the years 2018 to 2021. There was decreased use in 2020 due to less outpatient attendance, because of lockdown and transport unavailability, during COVID-19, followed by increased use in the year 2021, due to rise in mental problems as because of pandemic and lifting of lockdown.
Key words: Antidepressants; Anti-Anxiety Medications; COVID-19; Outpatients; Kolkata; Mental Health
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