TY - JOUR
T1 - The medicalization of sleeplessness
T2 - A public health concern
AU - Moloney, Mairead Eastin
AU - Konrad, R.
AU - Zimmer, Catherine R.
PY - 2011/8/1
Y1 - 2011/8/1
N2 - Sleeplessness, a universal condition with diverse causes, may be increasingly diagnosed and treated (or medicalized) as insomnia. We examined the trend in sleeplessness complaints, diagnoses, and prescriptions of sedative hypnotics in physician office visits from 1993 to 2007. Consistent with the medicalization hypothesis, sleeplessness complaints and insomnia diagnoses increased over time and were far outpaced by prescriptions for sedative hypnotics. Insomnia may be a public health concern, but potential overtreatment with marginally effective, expensive medications with nontrivial side effects raisesdefinitepopulationhealth concerns.
AB - Sleeplessness, a universal condition with diverse causes, may be increasingly diagnosed and treated (or medicalized) as insomnia. We examined the trend in sleeplessness complaints, diagnoses, and prescriptions of sedative hypnotics in physician office visits from 1993 to 2007. Consistent with the medicalization hypothesis, sleeplessness complaints and insomnia diagnoses increased over time and were far outpaced by prescriptions for sedative hypnotics. Insomnia may be a public health concern, but potential overtreatment with marginally effective, expensive medications with nontrivial side effects raisesdefinitepopulationhealth concerns.
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U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.2010.300014
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.2010.300014
M3 - Article
C2 - 21680913
AN - SCOPUS:79960455320
SN - 0090-0036
VL - 101
SP - 1429
EP - 1433
JO - American Journal of Public Health
JF - American Journal of Public Health
IS - 8
ER -
