Table 1.

Patterns of antidepressant prescription in schizophrenia treatment

Study year	Region	Sample size	Female (%)	Age (years)	Antidepressants	Patients using antidepressant (%)	Reference
Non-Asia
2007–2009	Italy	892a	58.0	55±17	SSRI 55%; TCA 2.8%	40b	62
2007	USA (Veterans)*	2,412	7.6	54	SSRI/SNRI 84.5%; TCA 22.9%	37.4	63
2003–2006	the Netherlands	214	43.0	38.7±11.7	na	40.2	56
2003–2004	New York, USA	456	35	43±11.7	SSRI; TCA; others	37	65
2001–2003	USA	1,380	30	40±11	na	31% total	55
1993/1994	Austria	177	59.2	48.4	na	30.4	128
1992	Badajoz, Spain	100	50	37.8±12.5	na	15	129
	Huddinge, Sweden	87	46	37.1±10.2	na	1
	Tartu, Estonia	100	50	38.8±12.6	Mainly amitriptyline	16
1990	Greater Vancouver, Canada	1,421	na	44.7±14.0	Mostly TCA	11.60	67
Asia
2009	People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, and Thailand	2,226	39.4	43.0±13.7	Mainly SSRI >55.9%	8.70	66
2008	Malaysia	200	34	35.0±1.1	na	10.5	130
2008	Beijing, Republic of China	518	46.5	42.0±15.8	na	9.5	131
2004	People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan	2,136	42.7	43.1±14.2	Mainly SSRI >50.3%; trazodone >27.3%	6.5	66
2001	People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan	2,399	44.1	43.6±13.5	Mainly SSRI >43%	5.3	66
1999	Beijing, People’s Republic of China	605	44.5	41.2±12.8	na	4.30	131

Notes:

^a564 taking antipsychotics; 295 schizophrenic patients.

^bPresented in 564 patients taking antipsychotics.

^*This data was taken from US Veterans only, and not the general population of the US.

Abbreviations: SSRI, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; TCA, tricyclic antidepressant; SNRI, serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors; na, not applicable.