OBJECTIVE: To learn the evolution of antidepressant and lithium use in Castilla y León (Central Spain) and its relationship with suicide rates.
METHODS: A search in the ECOM (Especialidades Consumo de Medicamentos) database of the Spanish Ministry of Health for antidepressants and lithium was carried out for the period 1992-2005. Defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants per day were obtained as consumption data. Population and suicide rates data come from the Spanish National Statistics Institute.
RESULTS: Antidepressant consumption increased 7-fold, from 6.9 DDD per 1000 inhabitants per day in 1992 to 47.3 in 2005; the corresponding increase in cost was more than 10-fold. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) comprised 77% of the total consumption. Venlafaxine consumption multiplied by 2.2. The consumption of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) decreased after venlafaxine and mirtazapine were marketed. Lithium consumption increased by 76% during the period studied, but it plateaued in 2000.
CONCLUSIONS: The consumption of antidepressants in Castilla y León has increased remarkably and the pattern has changed; there is an increase in the consumption of the new and more expensive antidepressants such as venlafaxine and escitalopram. No association was observed between suicide rates and antidepressant consumption.