Researchers have observed a significant rise in diagnoses of sedative, hypnotic, and anxiety use disorders among young adults. The study, conducted by Rutgers Health and published in Addiction, highlights the increase in these diagnoses from 2001 to 2019.
The study focused on adolescents and young adults using national Medicaid data. In 2001, nearly 7 million individuals were analyzed, increasing to 13 million by 2019. Researchers found that the prevalence of these disorders tripled among adolescents and increased fivefold among young adults over this period.
Greta Bushnell, an assistant professor at the Rutgers Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science (PETS) and lead author of the study, stated: “The increase in diagnoses of these disorders may be due to changes in the availability, use and misuse of sedatives, hypnotics and anxiolytics, as well as an increase in detection, awareness and diagnosing of these disorders.”
Medications used for sleep and anxiety disorders can lead to higher tolerance levels with consistent use. This can result in patients needing larger doses to achieve desired effects. For some individuals, problematic usage patterns cause significant impairment or distress leading to a diagnosis of sedative, hypnotic or anxiolytic use disorder. According to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, these disorders impact approximately 2.2 million Americans.
Bushnell emphasized: “Efforts to target nonmedical use of these drugs is important as a means to reduce this disorder,” highlighting the need for cautious prescribing practices among young populations.
The research also revealed that most diagnosed youths did not have prescriptions for these medications but accessed them through nonmedical sources such as friends or medicine cabinets. Additionally, many adolescents with these disorders also had comorbid substance use issues; cannabis was prevalent among adolescents while opioid use disorder was more common among young adults.
Bushnell noted: “While sedative, hypnotic and anxiolytic use disorders are less common than other substance use disorders, it warrants attention from clinicians and researchers given treatment difficulties and the association with other substance use issues.”
Coauthors include Kristen Lloyd and Tobias Gerhard from PETS; Katherine Keyes, Mark Olfson, Deborah Hasin from Columbia University; Magdalena Cerdá from New York University; all contributing to this comprehensive examination of trends which could improve support through care resources for affected youth.
