Trends in psychotropic medication across occupation types before and during the Covid-19 pandemic: a linked administrative data study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Using linked administrative data, this study provides the first longitudinal analysis of mental health among workers across occupational groups prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Eleven years of data were analysed to examine whether the pandemic period coincided with changes in psychotropic medication for workers across broad occupational groupings.

Methods

Data from Northern Ireland (NI) Enhanced Prescribing Database (EPD) was linked with NI Longitudinal Study (NILS) to examine trends in anti-depressants, anxiolytics and hypnotics (2011-2021) among NI workers (N = 200,004) across nine major occupation groups. Quarterly prescriptions were examined prior to and during pandemic restrictions (Q1-2011 to Q4-2019; and Q1-2020 to Q4-2021, respectively). Auto-regres

SUBMITTER: Ferry F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12449321 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature