Care for patients with anxiety disorders between 2010 and 2014 in facilities licensed for psychiatric care in mainland France: analysis of RIM-P data

Introduction: Anxiety disorders encompass a range of anxiety-phobic conditions and disorders involving maladaptive responses to stressors. The objective is to describe patients with these disorders who are treated at a healthcare facility licensed to provide psychiatric care in mainland France. Methods: The analysis included all individuals, whether hospitalized or treated on an outpatient basis in facilities licensed for psychiatric care, for whom at least one anxiety disorder (ICD-10 codes F40 to F48) was noted as the primary or associated diagnosis. Data from 2010 to 2014 were extracted from the national database for the collection of medical information in psychiatry (RIM-P). Results: Between 2010 and 2014, 1,351,649 patients were treated for anxiety disorders. In approximately 9 out of 10 cases, the diagnosis of anxiety disorders was recorded as the primary diagnosis. Over these five years, an annual increase of 3.6% in the rate of treatment for anxiety disorders was observed among women (p<0.001) and of 3.7% among men (p<0.001). These increases in rates pertained to reactions to a major stressor and adjustment disorders (F43) as well as anxiety disorders other than phobias (F41), while phobic disorders (F40), obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD, F42), and somatoform disorders (F45) remained stable over time. In 2014, the treatment rate was 670.3 per 100,000 people (780.0 among women and 553.5 among men). More than half of the patients treated for anxiety disorders presented with reactions to a major stressor and adjustment disorders (F43). Regardless of the anxiety disorder studied—with the exception of OCD, which affected both sexes equally—women were treated more often than men, with a peak among girls aged 15–19. Among both men and women, rates of treatment for anxiety disorders 20% higher than the national rate were observed in the northern regions of France (Brittany, Normandy, Hauts-de-France, and Grand Est). Conclusion: Given the increase in healthcare utilization for certain anxiety disorders in recent years, epidemiological surveillance should be established through surveys and analyses of healthcare utilization databases. Early identification during childhood or adolescence would be necessary to initiate early treatment and prevent the chronicity of these disorders, the development of comorbidities, and suicidal behavior.

Author(s): Chan Chee Christine, Badjadj Lynda

Publishing year: 2018

Pages: 653-661

Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 2018, n° 32-33, p. 653-661

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