Use of Antidepressant and Anxiolytic Drugs in Scandinavian Countries between 2006 and 2021: A Prescription Database Study
Table 2
Total number of users (users; no) and prevalence (prev.; users per 1000 inhabitants) of antidepressants by drug class and country from 2006 to 2021.
Drug group
2006
2009
2012
2015
2018
2021
Relative change (%)a
b
Users
Prev.
Users
Prev.
Users
Prev.
Users
Prev.
Users
Prev.
Users
Prev.
Antidepressants (N06A)
Norway
279 501
60.0
292 389
60.6
309 879
61.8
322 638
62.2
332 866
62.7
371 439
68.9
+14.8
Sweden
720 881
79.7
739 748
79.9
808 510
85.3
918 713
94.2
1 004 421
99.2
1 109 540
106.9
+34.1
Denmark
394 980
72.8
441 805
80.2
458 490
82.2
420 890
74.4
417 645
72.2
447 415
76.6
+5.2
≥0.05
TCA (N06AA)
Norway
57 551
12.3
60 235
12.5
64 718
12.9
68 306
13.2
71 160
13.4
85 569
15.9
+29.3
Sweden
98 299
10.9
93 677
10.1
98 444
10.4
105 989
10.9
123 845
12.2
155 368
15.0
+37.6
≥0.05
Denmark
51 100
9.4
54 355
9.9
59 350
10.6
55 855
9.9
51 965
9.0
50 690
8.7
-7.4
SSRI (N06AB)
Norway
169 289
36.3
178 925
37.0
186 235
37.1
185 844
35.8
179 802
33.8
191 145
35.5
-2.2
≥0.05
Sweden
509 963
56.4
517 135
55.9
558 075
58.8
616 488
63.2
639 910
63.2
674 917
65.0
+15.2
Denmark
273 530
50.4
304 060
55.2
293 190
52.5
254 205
44.9
242 975
42.0
257 240
44.0
-12.5
≥0.05
Other antidepressants (N06AX)
Norway
88 876
19.1
90 568
18.8
98 709
19.7
107 668
20.7
118 284
22.3
134 022
24.9
+30.4
Sweden
200 552
22.2
222 811
24.1
263 207
27.8
332 087
34.1
387 789
38.3
443 278
42.7
+92.3
Denmark
128 220
23.6
150 715
27.3
174 310
31.2
166 575
29.4
173 495
30.0
191 020
32.7
+36.4
≥0.05
Abbreviations: TCA: tricyclic antidepressants; SSRI: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The table displays data points every three years for ease of presentation, but the statistical trend analysis and graphs are based on data from each year. aPercentage differences in the year 2021 compared to the year 2006. bJonckheere-Terpstra trend test value for trend .
