ArticleThe Lancet regional health. Western Pacific2020
Psychotropic medication utilisation in adult cancer patients in China: A cross-sectional study based on national health insurance database.
Article in The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prescription and use of psychoactive medications among cancer patients and associated factors in lower and upper middle-income countries: systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Pooled it
- Use of antipsychotic drugs during radiotherapy in adult cancer patients in Korea: a nationwide retrospective cohort study based on the national health insurance service database.Radiation oncology (London, England) · 2024Article
- The impact of government reimbursement negotiation on targeted anticancer medicines use and cost in China: A cohort study based on national health insurance data.Journal of global health · 2023Article
- Review
- Psychotropic medication use in cancer patients- a Chinese perspective.The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
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Abstract
backgroundPsychotropic medications are useful to treat psychiatric disorders which are frequently underdiagnosed and undertreated in cancer patients. Evidence on utilisation of psychotropic medications in cancer patients was absent in China. This study aimed to analyse the prevalence and the potential predictors of psychotropic medication use in adult cancer patients in China.
methodsWe analysed cross-sectional data from the China Health Insurance Association database in 2015-2017, which contained health care utilisation information for a national representative sample of basic medical insurance beneficiaries. Cancer patients aged above 18 were identified by International Classification of Disease 10th revision code C00-C97. Psychotropic medications were defined following the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical codes: antipsychotics (N05A), anxiolytics (N05B), hypnotics and sedatives (N05C), and antidepressants (N06A, N06CA). We calculated the prevalence of psychotropic medication use in cancer patients, and applied multivariable logistic regression to identify its potential predictors.
findingsA total of 260,364 adults with cancer were identified in the database, of which 48,111 (18•5%) were prescribed at least one psychotropic medication comprising antipsychotics (3763, 1•4%), anxiolytics (15,902, 6•1%), hypnotics and sedatives (37,040, 14•2%), and antidepressants (2379, 0•9%). Patients with solid tumours had higher prevalence of psychotropic medication use than patients with lymphoid and hematopoietic malignancies (e.g. female genital organs, adjusted odds ratio (OR)=2•25, 95%CI=2•09-2•44). The prevalence of psychotropic medication use in cancer patients in the Eastern region was significantly higher than those of cancer patients in the Western regions (OR=2•33, 95%CI=2•27-2•40). Compared with the Urban Rural Resident Basic Medical Insurance beneficiaries, cancer patients covered by the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance were more likely to use psychotropic medications (OR=1•18, 95%CI=1•15-1•20). Midazolam was the most frequently used psychotropic (21,728, 45•2%), and flupentixol-melitracen was the most commonly used antidepressant (1176, 2•4%) among all psychotropic medication users in the sample.
interpretationThe prevalence of psychotropic medication use in Chinese adult cancer patients was inequitable. Further attention will be needed to be paid to the mental health of cancer patients in China.
fundingNo funding.
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