Summary: A Rutgers Health study published in Addiction reveals a sharp rise in sedative, hypnotic, and anxiolytic use disorders among adolescents and young adults from 2001 to 2019. Using national Medicaid data, researchers found the prevalence tripled in adolescents and quintupled in young adults. While these disorders were more common in youths with prescriptions, most diagnoses occurred in those without. The study highlights the need for cautious prescribing, addressing nonmedical use, and targeted interventions, as many affected individuals also had comorbid substance use disorders.
Key Takeaways:
- Dramatic Increase: Sedative, hypnotic, and anxiolytic use disorder diagnoses tripled in adolescents and increased fivefold in young adults from 2001 to 2019.
- Prescription vs. Nonmedical Use: Most youth diagnosed with these disorders lacked prescriptions for the medications, emphasizing the role of nonmedical access.
- Substance Use Disorders: Many diagnosed youths had co-occurring substance use disorders, with cannabis use common among adolescents and opioid use prevalent in young adults.
The prevalence of diagnosed disorders from recurrent use of sedative, hypnotic, and antianxiety medications in adolescents and young adults has increased sharply since 2001, according to Rutgers Health researchers.
Their study, published in Addiction, examined diagnoses of these disorders in adolescents and young adults between 2001 to 2019.
Sedative, hypnotic, and antianxiety medications are used to treat a variety of conditions, including sleep and anxiety disorders. According to Harvard Health, consistent use of these drugs can lead to a higher tolerance for their effects, meaning patients require higher doses to achieve the intended effects.
For some, a problematic pattern of use of these medications can lead to significant impairment and distress. When this happens, patients may be diagnosed with sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic use disorders, which are estimated to impact 2.2 million Americans, according to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Trends in Youth Diagnoses
Using national Medicaid data from nearly 7 million adolescents and young adults in 2001 and 13 million adolescents and young adults in 2019, Rutgers Health researchers looked at trends in sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic use disorder diagnoses. The prevalence increased threefold in adolescents and increased fivefold in young adults from 2001 to 2019.
“The increase in diagnoses of these disorders may be due to changes in the availability, use, and misuse of sedatives, hypnotics, and anxiolytics, as well as an increase in detection, awareness, and diagnosing of these disorders,” says Greta Bushnell, PhD, an assistant professor at the Rutgers Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science and lead author of the study, in a release.
Sedative, hypnotic, and anti-anxiety medications are accessed in a number of ways, including through medical prescriptions as well as through nonmedical sources such as a friend or in a medicine cabinet. Researchers found the prevalence of sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic use disorders to be elevated in youths with prescriptions. However, the majority of adolescents and young adults diagnosed with a sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic use disorder didn’t have a prescription for one of those medications.
Addressing Nonmedical Use and Comorbidities
“Efforts to target nonmedical use of these drugs is important as a means to reduce this disorder,” says Bushnell, who also is an assistant professor of epidemiology at Rutgers School of Public Health, “as is cautious prescribing in this young population.”
Researchers also found that most adolescents and young adults with sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic use disorders had another comorbid substance use disorder diagnosis; in adolescents, cannabis use disorder was the most common, and opioid use disorder in young adults.
“While sedative, hypnotic, and anxiolytic use disorders are less common than other substance use disorders, it warrants attention from clinicians and researchers given treatment difficulties and the association with other substance use issues,” Bushnell says in a release.
Examining trends in youth diagnosed with this disorder can lead to a better understanding of the population and improve support through care and resources, say researchers.
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