Nationwide trends in the use of ADHD medications in the period 2006-2022: a study from the Norwegian prescription database.

Background: The use of medication for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) increased globally throughout the early 2000s. This study examine trends in prevalences and incidences of medication use in Norway from 2006 to 2022.

Methods: Data from the Norwegian Prescription Database were used to present one-year-prevalence and incidence rates of ADHD medication (ATC-group N06BA and C02AC02) for the overall population (ages 6-64) and within sex and age subgroups of children (ages 6-17) and adults (ages 18-64).

Morbidity among Adolescent Hypnotic Drug Users in Norway: An Observational Population-Based Study.

We have previously shown that the use of hypnotic drugs increased among young Scandinavians during 2012-2018. This study aimed to explore psychiatric and somatic morbidity among adolescent hypnotic drug users in a cohort study of 13-17-year-old individuals during 2008-2018 in Norway. Data sources were (i) prescription data from the Norwegian Prescription Database linked to specialist health care diagnoses from the Norwegian Patient Registry and (ii) sleep disorder diagnoses from the Primary Health Care Database.

Patterns of unhealthy behaviours during adolescence and subsequent anxiety and depression in adulthood: a prospective register linkage study of the HUNT survey and health registries.

Background: There is increasing need for prospective investigations in the preventing role of health-related behaviours on mental health problems. The aim of this study is to identify patterns of health-related behaviours in adolescence, and the association between the behavioural patterns and the subsequent diagnoses and/or drug treatment for anxiety and/or depression in adulthood.

Methods: This prospective study consisted of 13-19-year-old participants in the Trøndelag Health Study (Young-HUNT3) in 2006-2008 (n = 2061, 1205 females and 856 males) in Norway, who also participated in HUNT4 (2017-2019).

Use of hypnotic drugs among children, adolescents, and young adults in Scandinavia.

Background: Hypnotic use in children and adolescents is controversial.

Objective: To describe the use of hypnotic drugs (melatonin, z-drugs, and sedating antihistamines) among 5- to 24-year-old Scandinavians during 2012 to 2018.

Methods: Aggregate-level data were obtained from public data sources in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.

The association between physical activity and symptoms of depression in different contexts - a cross-sectional study of Norwegian adolescents.

Background: The purpose was to analyse the association between physical activity taking place in different contexts (sports club, gym, exercise independently and other organized physical activities) and symptoms of depression.

Methods: The study was based on self-reported cross-sectional data from the Ungdata survey, conducted in 2017 by the Norwegian Social Research (NOVA) institute in cooperation with regional centres for drug rehabilitation. The target group comprised 5531 15-16 years old adolescents (Grade 10 students) and 11,655 students in grades 8 and 9 in Norway.

Dispensing of prescribed analgesics in Norway among young people with foreign-or Norwegian-born parents.

Purpose To examine and compare dispensing of prescribed analgesics between young people with parents from countries with a Muslim majority and those with parents born in Norway. Methods Our study-population constituted 11,542 adolescents from the Norwegian Youth Health Surveys conducted in 2000-2003. Users and non-users of prescribed analgesics at baseline were analysed separately.

Leisure-time physical activity among adolescents and subsequent use of antidepressant and hypnotic drugs: a prospective register linkage study.

In this prospective study, the association between physical activity and subsequent use of antidepressant and hypnotic drug use in adolescents aged 15-16 years was examined. This study is based on information retrieved from the Norwegian Youth Health Surveys (2000-2003) and linked to prescription data from the Norwegian Prescription Database (2004-2013). In total, the study included 10711 participants with a participation rate of 87%.

Increase in diagnosis of depressive disorders contributes to the increase in antidepressant use in adolescents.

Objective: To study if the observed increase in use of antidepressants (AD) among adolescents may be explained by higher incidence of depressive disorder diagnosis, increasing treatment of other mental disorders or more liberal prescribing practice.

Methods: We used three different study populations of girls and boys aged 13-17 years in Norway: 1) individuals who were diagnosed with depressive disorders in primary health care, 2) individuals who were diagnosed with depressive disorders in secondary health care; 3) individuals who were dispensed ADs as recorded in the prescription database. Dataset 2) and 3) were linked.

The incidence, psychiatric co-morbidity and pharmacological treatment of severe mental disorders in children and adolescents.

Background: Antipsychotic drug use among children and adolescents is increasing, and there is growing concern about off-label use and adverse effects. The present study aims to investigate the incidence, psychiatric co-morbidity and pharmacological treatment of severe mental disorder in Norwegian children and adolescents.

Methods: We obtained data on mental disorders from the Norwegian Patient Registry on 0-18 year olds who during 2009-2011 were diagnosed for the first time with schizophrenia-like disorder (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision codes F20-F29), bipolar disorder (F30-F31), or severe depressive episode with psychotic symptoms (F32.

Psychological distress among Norwegian adolescents: Changes between 2001 and 2009 and associations with leisure time physical activity and screen-based sedentary behaviour.

Aims: The aim of this work was to examine psychological distress among Norwegian adolescents in relation to changes over time and the associations with leisure time physical activity and screen-based sedentary behaviour.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on data retrieved from the Norwegian Youth Health Surveys in 2001 and 2009 in Hedmark County. Adolescents aged 15-16 years old completed a questionnaire regarding physical activity, sedentary behaviour, psychological distress and other health and lifestyle variables.

Antidepressant drug use among adolescents during 2004-2013: a population-based register linkage study.

Objective: To study trends in use of antidepressants (ADs) by adolescents, and psychiatric morbidity and use of other psychotropic drugs as a measure of psychiatric comorbidity.

Methods: One-year prevalence of AD drug use was analyzed for 13- to 17-year-old Norwegians during 2004-2013. Use of other psychotropic drugs and specialist healthcare services was analyzed for incident AD users in 2012, using linked data from the Norwegian Prescription Database and the Norwegian Patient Register.

Mental disorder diagnoses among children and adolescents who use antipsychotic drugs.

Antipsychotic drugs are used increasingly by children and adolescents and there is concern about off-label use. We aimed to study which substances, and for which mental disorder diagnoses, antipsychotic drugs were prescribed to 0-18-year-old boys and girls in Norway. Linked data from the national health registry for prescription drugs in 2010 and mental disorder diagnoses in 2008-2012 were used to study the prevalence of antipsychotic drug use, the type of antipsychotic drug substances used, mental disorder diagnoses in users and distribution of drugs per diagnostic category across gender.

Psychotropic drug use among 0-17 year olds during 2004-2014: a nationwide prescription database study.

Background: Time-trend studies on psychotropic drugs among children and adolescents are scarce, and most of them are outdated. The purpose of this study was to study prevalences of psychotropic drug use during 2004-2014 among Norwegians aged <18 years, overall and in psychotropic sub-groups.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Norwegian Prescription Database, which covers all dispensed prescription drugs in Norway from 2004 and onwards.

Paediatric Off-Label Use of Melatonin--A Register Linkage Study between the Norwegian Prescription Database and Patient Register.

The aims were, for the entire Norwegian population aged 4-17 years, to study the prevalence of melatonin use during 2004-2012, recurrent use in incident users and psychiatric and neurological morbidity in recurrent users. Data on dispensed melatonin were retrieved from the Norwegian Prescription Database and linked to diagnostic data from the Norwegian Patient Register. Outcome measures were the following: 1-year prevalence of use, proportion of recurrent use (use over three consecutive 365-day periods among incident users in 2009) and annual number of milligrams and number of prescriptions dispensed in recurrent users.

Hypnotic drug use among 0-17 year olds during 2004-2011: a nationwide prescription database study.

Aims: To (a) describe the prevalence, trend, and amount of hypnotic drug use, (b) determine the prevalence of chronic diseases among hypnotic drug users, and (c) determine levels of recurrent hypnotic drug use (2007-2011), among 0-17 year old Norwegians.

Methods: Data were obtained from the nationwide Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD) in the period 2004-2011.

Results: Hypnotic drug use in 0-17 year olds increased during the period, from 8.

The association between prescribed opioid use for mothers and children: a record-linkage study.

Purpose: The repeated use of prescription opioids may lead to serious side effects. It is therefore important to examine factors associated with such repeated use. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the maternal use of prescription opioids and their use by offspring of these mothers.

Mental distress and subsequent use of psychotropic drugs among adolescents-a prospective register linkage study.

Purpose: To investigate the association between mental distress, other factors, and subsequent use of psychotropic drugs in adolescents aged 15-16 years.

Methods: This study is based on information retrieved from the Norwegian Youth Health Surveys (2000-2003) and linked to prescription data from the Norwegian Prescription Database (2004-2009). The study population included 11,620 adolescents aged 15-16 (87% response rate) years.

The association between smoking and subsequent repeated use of prescribed opioids among adolescents and young adults--a population-based cohort study.

Background: The use of prescribed opioids for chronic non-cancer pain is increasing in many countries. It is, therefore, important to investigate predictors for repeated use of opioids in young non-cancer patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate adolescent smoking and its association with repeated use of prescription opioids in adolescents/young adults without cancer.

Disability pension as predictor of later use of benzodiazepines among benzodiazepine users.

The proportion of Norwegians on disability pensions has doubled since the 1980s. The Norwegian Government wants action to stimulate the working capacity in those disability pensioners who have the potential to work. Information on factors that may impair rehabilitation efforts, including the unfavourable use of benzodiazepines, may be useful in this context.

Disability pension is associated with the use of benzodiazepines 20 years later: a prospective study.

Aim: The Norwegian government states that actions are needed to stimulate working capacity in disability pension (DP) recipients with such a potential. Identification of factors that may impair rehabilitation efforts, such as information on the start of benzodiazepines in DP recipients, may be useful in this context.Thus, the aim of the study was to describe the association between receipt of DP and later prescriptions of benzodiazepines among non-users at baseline.

Aspects of statin prescribing in Norwegian counties with high, average and low statin consumption - an individual-level prescription database study.

Background: A previous study has shown that variations in threshold and intensity (lipid goal attainment) of statins for primary prevention contribute to regional differences in overall consumption of statins in Norway. Our objective was to explore how differences in prevalences of use, dosing characteristics, choice of statin and continuity of therapy in individual patients adds new information to previous results.

Methods: Data were retrieved from The Norwegian Prescription Database.