Socioeconomic trends in anxiolytic, hypnotic, and sedative use among secondary school students in Spain from 2010 to 2021: a repeated cross-sectional design.

Background: The increasing use of anxiolytics, hypnotics, and sedatives (AHS) among adolescents is a growing public health concern. Social determinants such as gender or socioeconomic status have a significant influence on consumption levels. However, whether trends in adolescent AHS use show socioeconomic and gender disparities is unknown.

[Desigualdades de género en el consumo de ansiolíticos e hipnosedantes por parte de adolescentes en España: un estudio transversal.].

Objective: There is increasing evidence of deterioration in the mental health of the population, especially among women and adolescents. We aimed to analyze gender inequalities in the consumption of anxiolytics and hypnosedatives (AHS) among adolescents in Spain in 2021 and its time trend, from an intersectional approach.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of time trends based on the ESTUDES national survey (n=22,321), comprising students between the ages of fourteen and eighteen.