Brief Report: A population-based study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on benzodiazepine use among children and young adults

Background
The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increases in the prevalence of depression and anxiety among children and young adults.

Objective
This study evaluated whether the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with changes in benzodiazepine dispensing among children and young adults.

Methods
Using administrative data from from January 1, 2013, to June 30, 2022, we conducted a population-based study, examining benzodiazepine dispensing data among individuals aged ≤ 24 years in Ontario, Canada. Structural break analyses were used to identify when changes in dispensing occurred during the pandemic, and interrupted time series models were employed to quantify these changes. The analysis included monthly rates of benzodiazepine use per 100,000 individuals, stratified by sex, age, income, and residence.


Results
256,270 people were dispensed benzodiazepines, with 62.5% being female and a median age of 20 years. In April 2020, following the public health emergency and school closures, there was an immediate decline in benzodiazepine dispensing by 23.6 per 100,000 (95% CI: -33.6 to -21.2), followed by a monthly decrease of 0.3 per 100,000 (95% CI: -0.74 to 0.14). Benzodiazepine dispensing rates were consistently lower than expected each month from April 2020 onward, with differences ranging from -7.4% to -20.9%.

Conclusion
There was an immediate and sustained decline in benzodiazepine dispensing during the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially due to reduced healthcare access, virtual healthcare transitions, and changes in prescribing practices. Further research is needed to understand the clinical implications and whether these trends continued.

Date Released: August 7, 2024