Prevalence Of Sedative, Anti-Anxiety Medication Use Disorders Increased Among Medicaid Beneficiaries Ages 13 To 29

The annual prevalence of use disorders for sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic medications (SHA-UD) among Medicaid-eligible adolescents aged 13 to 17 increased by 300% between 2001 and 2019, from 0.01% in 2001 to 0.04% in 2019. Among Medicaid-eligible young adults aged 18 to 29, SHA-UD increased by 400% over the same period, from 0.05% to 0.24%. The increase was attributed to changes in the availability, use, and misuse of these medications, increased awareness and detection of use disorders, and changes in diagnostic procedures.

These findings were reported in “Nationwide Trends In Diagnosed Sedative . . .