The Treatment and Outcome of Anxiety Neurosis Patients in Saskatchewan
| dc.contributor.advisor | Remillard, Fred | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Wallace, Sylvia | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Keegan, David | |
| dc.creator | Livingstone, Scott W. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-11-16T21:38:58Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-11-16T21:38:58Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 1994-01 | |
| dc.date.submitted | January 1994 | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | Individuals diagnosed with a psychiatric illness, and in particular an anxiety disorder, are among the highest users of non-psychiatric ambulatory services. The present study used the data files of Saskatchewan Health to identify the health care utilization of individuals with anxiety disorders. The resource utilization was compared before and after the index anxiety diagnosis. A total of 46,122 individuals met the inclusion/exclusion criteria for the study; 43,312 in the general practitioner group (93.9%), 2,762 in the psychiatrist group (6.0%), and 48 in the anxiety clinic group (0.1%). Total utilization increased prior to the diagnosis of anxiety and peaked during the year immediately following the diagnosis. Total utilization was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the first post-index year when compared to the pre-index year in all three groups. When total utilization was divided into psychiatric and medical utilization, the trend in utilization between the groups differed. The anxiety clinic and psychiatrist groups showed an "offset effect" in medical service utilization such that medical utilization decreased significantly during the second and third post-index years (p<0.05) while psychiatric utilization increased. In contrast, the general practitioner group had significantly higher medical care utilization, including physician counseling, following index diagnosis. The pattern of total prescription drug utilization was similar for all three groups. Outpatient prescription drugs, which were separated into central nervous system medications used in the treatment of anxiety, and "all other" prescription drugs, showed different patterns of utilization in the three groups. The present study confirms that individuals, diagnosed with anxiety disorders, are relatively high utilizers of health care resources prior to and immediately following their anxiety diagnosis. Patients treated by psychiatrists, experienced a decrease in medical utilization which was "offset" by an increase in psychiatric utilization. The excessive use of medical health services could be reduced if the diagnosis of anxiety was made earlier and the proper intervention implemented. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10388/15257 | |
| dc.subject | anxiety disorders | en_US |
| dc.title | The Treatment and Outcome of Anxiety Neurosis Patients in Saskatchewan | en_US |
| dc.type.genre | Thesis | en_US |
| thesis.degree.department | Pharmacy | en_US |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Saskatchewan | en_US |
| thesis.degree.level | Masters | en_US |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Science (M.Sc.) | en_US |