General Practitioners' Indications for Psychotropic Drugs

In the present study, an examination has been made of the indications for the prescription of psychotropic drugs in general practice. The study was prompted by the extensive consumption of these drugs that has become apparent within a comparatively short time after their introduction. The hypotheses were that psychotropic drugs are largely prescribed for somatic diseases, and for “non-medical” problems. The study is based on information obtained by questionnaire, from 47 general practitioners. The data obtained supported the first hypothesis. More than one-half of the psychotropic drugs were found to have been prescribed for somatic diseases. The data obtained did not provide direct support for the second hypothesis, but this may have been attributable to the method applied. It is highly probable that a doctor, in completing a questionnaire, would give a medical diagnosis for a “non-medical” problem. This study suggests that one mechanism of the increased utilization of psychotropic drugs is the broadened field of indications.