Dependence, abuse, and psychosocial characteristics of patients transported to emergency department due to overdose of over-the-counter medications

Abstract

In April 2021, the Physical Emergency Coordination Committee of the Japanese Society of General Hospital Psychiatry initiated the “Multicenter Survey on Abuse and Dependence in Patients Transported to Emergency Departments for Overdose of Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs.” The aim of the survey was to explore the actual conditions of abuse/dependence and psychosocial characteristics of patients transported to an emergency department for overdose of OTC drugs. We report the result of the survey in 25 patients (9 males and 16 females, mean age 23.3 ± 10.3 years, median 21.0 years) who were transported to Saitama Medical University Hospital. There were 84% of young participants in their teens or twenties. The severity of substance abuse/dependence was moderate or higher requiring treatment was observed in 9 patients (36%). We found that differences in the severity of abuse/dependence and suicidal tendencies observed depending on the type of OTC drug. It is necessary for health care professionals to understand the characteristics of “young age,” “abuse/dependence,” and “suicidal tendencies” underlying overdose of OTC drugs, and to consider how to provide support for various difficulties in life under multidisciplinary cooperation.