TY - JOUR
T1 - Ethnic density, physical illness, social deprivation and antidepressant prescribing in primary care: ecological study
AU - Walters, Paul
AU - Ashworth, Mark
AU - Tylee, Andre
PY - 2008/9
Y1 - 2008/9
N2 - Background Antidepressant prescribing should reflect need. The Quality and Outcomes Framework has provided an opportunity to explore factors affecting antidepressant prescribing in UK general practice.
Aims To explore the relationship between physical illness, social deprivation, ethnicity, practice characteristics and the volume of antidepressants prescribed in primary care.
Method This was an ecological study using data derived from the Quality and Outcomes Framework, the informatics Collaboratory of the Social Sciences, and Prescribing Analyses and CosT data for 2004-2005. Associations were examined using linear regression modelling.
Results Socio-economic status, ethnic density, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and epilepsy explained 44% of the variance in the volume of antidepressants prescribed.
Conclusions Lower volumes of antidepressants are prescribed in areas with high densities of Black or Asian people. This may suggest disparities in provision of care. Chronic respiratory disease and epilepsy may have a more important association with depression in primary care than previously thought.
AB - Background Antidepressant prescribing should reflect need. The Quality and Outcomes Framework has provided an opportunity to explore factors affecting antidepressant prescribing in UK general practice.
Aims To explore the relationship between physical illness, social deprivation, ethnicity, practice characteristics and the volume of antidepressants prescribed in primary care.
Method This was an ecological study using data derived from the Quality and Outcomes Framework, the informatics Collaboratory of the Social Sciences, and Prescribing Analyses and CosT data for 2004-2005. Associations were examined using linear regression modelling.
Results Socio-economic status, ethnic density, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and epilepsy explained 44% of the variance in the volume of antidepressants prescribed.
Conclusions Lower volumes of antidepressants are prescribed in areas with high densities of Black or Asian people. This may suggest disparities in provision of care. Chronic respiratory disease and epilepsy may have a more important association with depression in primary care than previously thought.
U2 - 10.1192/bjp.bp.107.038299
DO - 10.1192/bjp.bp.107.038299
M3 - Article
SN - 1472-1465
VL - 193
SP - 235
EP - 239
JO - British Journal of Psychiatry
JF - British Journal of Psychiatry
IS - 3
ER -
