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Rate of Prescription of Antidepressant and Anxiolytic Drugs after Cyclone Yasi in North Queensland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 September 2012

Kim Usher ,
Lawrence H. Brown ,
Petra Buettner ,
Beverley Glass ,
Helen Boon ,
Caryn West ,
Joseph Grasso ,
Jennifer Chamberlain-Salaun  and
Cindy Woods
Kim Usher*
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Nutrition, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Lawrence H. Brown
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Petra Buettner
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Beverley Glass
Affiliation:
School of Pharmacy and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Helen Boon
Affiliation:
School of Education, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Caryn West
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Nutrition, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Joseph Grasso
Affiliation:
School of Pharmacy and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Jennifer Chamberlain-Salaun
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Nutrition, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Cindy Woods
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Nutrition, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
*
Correspondence: Kim Usher, RN, DipHSc, BA, MNSt, PhD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Nutrition James Cook University PO Box 6811 Cairns, QLD, 4870 Australia E-mail kim.usher@jcu.edu.au
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Abstract

Introduction

The need to manage psychological symptoms after disasters can result in an increase in the prescription of psychotropic drugs, including antidepressants and anxiolytics. Therefore, an increase in the prescription of antidepressants and anxiolytics could be an indicator of general psychological distress in the community.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a change in the rate of prescription of antidepressant and anxiolytic drugs following Cyclone Yasi.

Methods

A quantitative evaluation of new prescriptions of antidepressants and anxiolytics was conducted. The total number of new prescriptions for these drugs was calculated for the period six months after the cyclone and compared with the same six month period in the preceding year. Two control drugs were also included to rule out changes in the general rate of drug prescription in the affected communities.

Results

After Cyclone Yasi, there was an increase in the prescription of antidepressant drugs across all age and gender groups in the affected communities except for males 14-54 years of age. The prescription of anxiolytic drugs decreased immediately after the cyclone, but increased by the end of the six-month post-cyclone period. Control drug prescription did not change.

Conclusion

There was a quantifiable increase in the prescription of antidepressant drugs following Cyclone Yasi that may indicate an increase in psychosocial distress in the community.

UsherK, BrownLH, BuettnerP, GlassB, BoonH, WestC, GrassoJ, Chamberlain-SalaunJ, WoodsC. Rate of Prescription of Antidepressant and Anxiolytic Drugs after Cyclone Yasi in North Queensland. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(6):1-5.

Keywords

antidepressantanxiolyticcyclonedrugnatural disasterpharmaceutical preparationprescriptionpsychological stress
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 27 , Issue 6 , December 2012 , pp. 519 - 523
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2012

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