Risk for use of antidepressants, anxiolytics, and hypnotics in partners of glioma patients: A nationwide study covering 19 years of prescriptions
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
OBJECTIVE: Suffering from malignant brain tumor is a stressful condition, for patients and their partners. In a retrospective cohort study using nationwide registries, we examined partners' risk for first use of antidepressants, anxiolytics, or hypnotics.
METHODS: We followed all 4373 partners of adults with glioma, diagnosed in 1998 to 2013 in Denmark and a cohort of 43 808 partners of glioma-free persons matched 1:10. In Cox proportional hazard models, we estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for a first prescription of psychotropic medications (antidepressants, anxiolytics, or hypnotics) according to the partner's glioma status. Among partners of glioma patients, we further estimated HRs for a first prescription of psychotropic medication according to disease characteristics, sociodemographic factors, and bereavement.
RESULTS: Two years after diagnosis, 29% of female and 21% of male partners of glioma patients had had a first prescription of psychotropic medication compared with 10% in female and 8% in male partners of glioma-free persons. Partners of glioma patients had a significantly increased, 4-fold higher risk for a first prescription of psychotropic medications in the first year after diagnosis than partners of glioma-free persons (HR 4.10, 95% CI, 3.80:4.43). Among partners of glioma patients, the risk was significantly reduced in bereaved compared with non-bereaved partners.
CONCLUSIONS: We have documented, for the first time, that the psychological impact of a diagnosis of glioma is such a severe stress exposure that it increases the risk for having medication prescribed to treat symptoms of anxiety, sleep problems, and depression.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Psycho-Oncology |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 8 |
Pages (from-to) | 1930-1936 |
ISSN | 1057-9249 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2018 |
ID: 213039572