Use of Antidepressant and Anxiolytic Drugs in Scandinavian Countries between 2006 and 2021: A Prescription Database Study
Table 3
Total number of users (users; no) and prevalence (prev.; users per 1000 inhabitants) of anxiolytics 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.
Anxiolytics (N05B)
Norway
281 237
60.3
282 061
58.4
273 786
54.5
262 410
50.6
246 975
46.5
239 720
44.5
-26.2
Sweden
475 176
52.5
496 196
53.6
526 926
55.6
569 184
58.4
540 223
53.4
489 933
47.2
-10.1
≥0.05
Denmark
271 820
50.1
217 730
39.5
180 030
32.3
150 730
26.6
125 280
21.7
105 050
18.0
-64.1
BZDs (N05BA)
Norway
261 614
56.1
261 065
54.1
249 510
49.7
236 178
45.5
223 508
42.1
211 583
39.2
-30.1
Sweden
362 499
40.1
355 574
38.4
359 546
37.9
356 040
36.5
322 088
31.8
275 274
26.5
-33.9
Denmark
265 880
49.0
212 115
38.5
173 315
31.1
143 630
25.4
117 760
20.4
96 615
16.5
-66.3
Diphenylmet. derivatives (N05BB)
Norway
25 710
5.5
28 280
5.8
32 309
6.4
34 013
6.5
29 878
5.6
34 391
6.4
+16.4
≥0.05
Sweden
137 428
15.2
173 137
18.7
203 218
21.4
249 524
25.6
244 556
24.2
231 336
22.3
+46.7
≥0.05
Denmark
6 670
1.2
6 005
1.1
7 210
1.3
7 750
1.4
8 160
1.4
8 875
1.5
+25.0
Azasp. derivatives (N05BE)
Norway
2 965
0.6
2 394
0.5
2 576
0.5
2 270
0.4
2 051
0.4
2 201
0.4
-33.3
Sweden
9 475
1.0
6 918
0.7
5 840
0.6
6 622
0.7
8 039
0.8
10 277
1.0
—
Denmark
1 400
0.3
1 420
0.3
1 160
0.2
1 065
0.2
965
0.2
1 090
0.2
-33.3
≥0.05
Abbreviations: BZDs: benzodiazepine derivatives; diphenylmet. derivatives: diphenylmethane derivatives; azasp. derivatives: azaspirodecanedione derivatives. 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 .
