Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40170029›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2025

Trends in pharmacological prescriptions and polypharmacy for personality disorders: a 10-year cross-sectional analysis of naturalistic data.

Flavio Di Leone, Steinn Steingrimsson, Hanne Krage Carlsen, Sophie I Liljedahl, Peter Sand

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Flavio Di LeoneDepartment of Psychiatry for Affective Disorders, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-2100-4006
Steinn SteingrimssonDepartment of Psychiatry for Affective Disorders, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-8320-5607
Hanne Krage CarlsenDepartment of Psychiatry for Affective Disorders, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-1656-9624
Sophie I LiljedahlDepartment of Psychiatry for Affective Disorders, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-6505-9818
Peter SandDepartment of Psychiatry for Affective Disorders, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. peter.sand@psy.gu.se.ORCID 0000-0003-4737-5670

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe purpose of this study was to examine trends in prescribing practices for individuals diagnosed with personality disorders (PD) over a 10-year period in a major metropolitan area in Sweden. Our aim was to assess the alignment of prescribing patterns with national clinical guidelines.

methodsA register analysis was conducted on 26,520 pharmacological prescriptions from patients' Electronic Health Records (EHRs), documented between January 2011 and December 2020. The study compared the annual proportion of prescriptions across various psychotropic medication classes over time between individuals diagnosed with PD alone and those diagnosed with PD and co-occurring clinical conditions. Additionally, polypharmacy (≥ 3 psychiatric medications) was investigated in both groups.

resultsThe proportion of individuals diagnosed with PD alone who received medication increased significantly over the study period. No significant changes were observed in polypharmacy, which remained prevalent in both groups. In the PD alone group, significant negative trends were observed in prescriptions for antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and benzodiazepine derivatives, while stimulant prescriptions rose significantly. In contrast, non-benzodiazepine sedatives and antipsychotics increased significantly in the group with co-occurring conditions.

conclusionOur study indicates mixed adherence to Swedish national prescribing guidelines for PD. While there was alignment with recommendations, such as reduced benzodiazepine use, challenges remain in addressing polypharmacy and the prescribing of medications without clear indications, particularly in individuals without comorbidities. These findings emphasize the need for improved diagnostic accuracy, ongoing clinician education, and the integration of prescribing data with diagnostic and treatment records. Future research should explore prescribing practices across various clinical settings and assess the influence of psychopharmacological trends on prescribing, while also defining polypharmacy in the context of personality disorders to guide clinical practice.

Indexed as

Drug PrescriptionsPersonality DisordersPolypharmacyPractice Patterns, Physicians'Psychotropic DrugsAdultAgedAntipsychotic AgentsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleGuideline AdherenceHumansMaleMiddle AgedPractice Guidelines as TopicRegistriesAntipsychotic AgentsPsychotropic DrugsComorbidityPersonality Disorders (PD)Pharmacological PrescriptionsPolypharmacyPrescription TrendsRegister StudySwedish National Guidelines

Identifiers

PMID40170029
PMCPMC11963506

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.