A Quantitative Analysis of Antidepressant and Antipsychotic Prescriptions Following an Earthquake in Italy

Because natural disasters provoke an increase in mental and medical disorders in survivors, an increase in psychotropic prescriptions has been observed following disasters. This study assesses the pharmacoepidemiology of antidepressant and antipsychotic drug prescriptions after an earthquake in Italy by using an administrative database. Statins and diabetic medications served as control medications. Comparison of the rates in the 6 months after the earthquake to the same period one year before revealed a 37% increase of new prescriptions for antidepressants and a 129% increase for antipsychotic prescriptions. Older age and female gender was associated with the increased number of prescriptions.