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The number of retirement-age Americans taking at least three psychiatric drugs more than doubled between 2004 and 2013, even though almost half of them had no mental health diagnosis on record, researchers reported on Monday.
The new report captures one important dimension, the rise in so-called polypharmacy — three drugs or more — in primary care, where most of the prescribing happens. Earlier research has found that elderly people are more likely to be on at least one psychiatric drug long term than younger adults, even though the incidence of most mental disorders declines later in life.
“The biggest jump was in rural areas,” Dr. Olfson said, “which suggests to me that the increases partly reflect doctors and patients falling back on medications when they have little access to other options,” like talk therapy, massage or relaxation techniques.
Federal health officials recently issued a strong warning to consumers about the risks of combining sedating drugs, like Xanax or Valium, with pain medications like opiates. But the analysis found that people taking opiates were about as likely to be on at least two other drugs as those not taking the strong painkillers.