from the repository of Utrecht University: "PURPOSE: Previously, a high prevalence of certain psychiatric disorders was shown among non-Western immigrants. This study explores whether this results in more prescriptions for psychotropic medication. METHODS: Data on dispensing of medication among adults living in the four largest Dutch cities in 2013 were linked to demographic data from Statistics Netherlands. Incident (i.e., following no dispensing in 2010-2012) and prevalent dispensing among immigrants was compared to that among native Dutch (N = 1,043,732) and analyzed using multivariable Poisson and logistic regression. RESULTS: High adjusted Odds Ratios (ORadj) of prevalent and high Incidence Rate Ratios (IRRadj) of incident dispensing of antipsychotics were found among Moroccan (N = 115,455) and Turkish individuals (N = 105,460), especially among young Moroccan males (ORadj = 3.22 [2.99-3.47]). Among Surinamese (N = 147,123) and Antillean individuals (N = 41,430), slightly higher rates of dispensed antipsychotics were found and the estimates decreased after adjustment. The estimates for antipsychotic dispensing among the Moroccan and Turkish increased, following adjustment for household composition. Rates for antidepressant dispensing among Turkish and Moroccan subjects were high (Moroccans: ORadj = 1.74 [1.70-1.78]). Among Surinamese and Antillean subjects, the rates for antidepressant dispensing were low and the ORadjlagged behind the IRRadj(Surinamese: 0.69 [0.67-0.71] vs. 1.06 [1.00-1.13]). Similar results were found for anxiolytics. For ADHD medication, lower dispensing rates were found among all migrant groups. CONCLUSIONS: The findings agree with earlier reports of more mental health problems among Moroccan and Turkish individuals. Surinamese/Antillean individuals did not use psychotropic drugs at excess and discontinued antidepressants and anxiolytics earlier. The data strongly suggest under-treatment for ADHD in all ethnic minority groups."
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Background:Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)) has a relatively low harm and low dependence liability but is scheduled on List I of the Dutch Opium Act (‘hard drugs’). Concerns surrounding increasing MDMA-related criminality coupled with the possibly inappropriate scheduling of MDMA initiated a debate to revise the current Dutch ecstasy policy.Methods:An interdisciplinary group of 18 experts on health, social harms and drug criminality and law enforcement reformulated the science-based Dutch MDMA policy using multi-decision multi-criterion decision analysis (MD-MCDA). The experts collectively formulated policy instruments and rated their effects on 25 outcome criteria, including health, criminality, law enforcement and financial issues, thematically grouped in six clusters.Results:The experts scored the effect of 22 policy instruments, each with between two and seven different mutually exclusive options, on 25 outcome criteria. The optimal policy model was defined by the set of 22 policy instrument options which gave the highest overall score on the 25 outcome criteria. Implementation of the optimal policy model, including regulated MDMA sales, decreases health harms, MDMA-related organised crime and environmental damage, as well as increases state revenues and quality of MDMA products and user information. This model was slightly modified to increase its political feasibility. Sensitivity analyses showed that the outcomes of the current MD-MCDA are robust and independent of variability in weight values.Conclusion:The present results provide a feasible and realistic set of policy instrument options to revise the legislation towards a rational MDMA policy that is likely to reduce both adverse (public) health risks and MDMA-related criminal burden.
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