Short- and long-term use of medication for psychological distress after the diagnosis of cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

This study investigated the short- and long-term use of medication for psychological distress after the diagnosis of cancer.

Methods

Longitudinal data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database were used to follow 35,137 cancer patients for 2.5 years after being diagnosed in 2006 and 2007.

Results

Among those patients who survived for at least 180 days, 20.9 % had used psychotropic medications; sedatives were the most frequently prescribed (14.3 %), followed by antidepressants (5.5 %), anxiolytics (3.6 %), and antipsychotics (2.7 %). Lung cancer, prostate cancer, and oral cancer showed a significant association with the regular use of medication in the first 180 days. Among patients who survived for at least 2.5 years, 4.8 % still used psychotropic med

SUBMITTER: Wang CH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5266776 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature