ABSTRACT
The social restrictions amid coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have posed a serious threat to mental health and have implications in the use of medications for mental health including antidepressants (ADs). This study investigated the trends in prescriptions and costs of various ADs in England during COVID-19 pandemic. National prescribing rates and net ingredient costs (NIC) of all ADs prescriptions during 2016 to 2020 were analyed. The total number of ADs prescriptions dispensed during COVID-19 pandemic (January to December 2020) were 78 million, 4 million more than in 2019 that costed NHS England £ 139 million more than in 2019. Sertraline, an SSRI antidepressant drug, alone accounted for an extra £113 million during 2020 than in 2019. The peak dispensing for ADs was observed in March 2020 while the total costs for AD drugs peaked in April 2020. The rising prescription costs for ADs during COVID-19 pandemic is a potential cause of concern, in particular the increasing use in adolescents and younger adults needs attention, who are at a higher risk of life-threatening adverse drug reactions.
Subject(s)
Antidepressive Agents/economics , COVID-19/economics , COVID-19/epidemiology , Drug Costs/trends , Drug Prescriptions/economics , Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use , Depression/drug therapy , Depression/economics , Depression/epidemiology , England/epidemiology , HumansABSTRACT
People living with HIV (PLWH) may be at higher risk for adverse outcomes indirectly associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). When comparing responses to questionnaires administered when social distancing and quarantine guidelines were first implemented, we found that PLWH were more likely to have restricted access to medical care, increased financial stress, increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, and increased substance use compared to demographically-similar people without HIV.
Subject(s)
Anxiety/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Depression/epidemiology , HIV Infections/epidemiology , Pandemics , Stress, Psychological/epidemiology , Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Adult , Aged , Anxiety/economics , Anxiety/psychology , Anxiety/virology , COVID-19/economics , COVID-19/psychology , COVID-19/virology , Comorbidity , Depression/economics , Depression/psychology , Depression/virology , Female , HIV Infections/economics , HIV Infections/psychology , HIV Infections/virology , HIV-1/pathogenicity , Health Services Accessibility/economics , Health Services Accessibility/ethics , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Missouri/epidemiology , Physical Distancing , Quarantine/economics , Quarantine/psychology , SARS-CoV-2/pathogenicity , Stress, Psychological/economics , Stress, Psychological/virology , Substance-Related Disorders/economics , Substance-Related Disorders/psychology , Substance-Related Disorders/virology , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
One of the most pernicious side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is a steep rise in stress and mental health problems. According to a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly half of American adults say that worry and stress about the pandemic is hurting their mental health [1]. There are plenty of factors feeding into this phenomenon. People are anxious about getting sick, grieving lost loved ones, and experiencing financial stress, parental stress, and loneliness. The pandemic places additional burdens on essential workers and people of color, both of whom are at greater risk of dying from the disease. COVID-19 itself has been linked to neurological problems as well as anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders [2].