Table 1.
Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the sample (N = 967).
| Variable | Category | Number of patients | % of the sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 18-30 years | 99 | 10.2 |
| 30-45 years | 262 | 27.1 | |
| Mean age: 49.6 ± 13.8 years | 45-60 years | 406 | 42.0 |
| Range: 18-87 years | 60-75 years | 169 | 17.5 |
| >75 years | 30 | 3.1 | |
| Sex | Male | 358 | 37.1 |
| Female | 608 | 62.9 | |
| Educational level | No formal education | 88 | 9.1 |
| Primary education | 334 | 34.5 | |
| Secondary education | 359 | 37.1 | |
| University studies | 186 | 19.2 | |
| ICD-10 diagnosis* | Schizophrenia | 179 | 18.5 |
| Bipolar disorder | 118 | 12.2 | |
| Depressive disorder | 462 | 47.8 | |
| Anxiety disorders | 160 | 16.5 | |
| Personality disorders | 30 | 3.1 | |
| Other diagnoses | 18 | 1.9 | |
| History of psychiatric | No | 641 | 66.3 |
| admissions | 1 | 121 | 12.5 |
| 2 | 68 | 7.0 | |
| 59.6% involuntary admissions | 3 | 51 | 5.3 |
| ≥4 | 86 | 8.9 | |
| No. of psychiatrists | 1 | 323 | 33.4 |
| 2 | 259 | 26.8 | |
| Mean: 2.7 ± 2.0 | 3 | 147 | 15.2 |
| Range: 1-15 | 4 | 79 | 8.2 |
| ≥5 | 159 | 16.3 | |
| Psychotropic drugs | No drugs | 21 | 2.2 |
| One drug | 128 | 13.2 | |
| Mean: 2.9 ± 1.4 drugs | Two drugs | 260 | 26.9 |
| Range: 0-8 | Three drugs | 246 | 25.4 |
| Polypharmacy: 86.2% | Four drugs | 172 | 17.8 |
| Five or more drugs | 140 | 14.5 | |
| Treatment | Antidepressants | 667 | 69.0 |
| Tricyclic | 33 | 3.4 | |
| SSRIs | 502 | 51.9 | |
| SNSRIs | 340 | 35.2 | |
| Benzodiazepines | 763 | 79.0 | |
| Antipsychotics | 327 | 33.8 | |
| Conventional | 48 | 5.0 | |
| Atypical | 315 | 32.6 | |
| Mood stabilizers | 275 | 28.4 | |
| Anticholinergics | 43 | 4.4 |
Note. ICD = International Classification of Diseases; SNSRIs = Selective Noradrenaline and Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; SSRIs = Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors.