An examination of the medicalization and pharmaceuticalization processes of anxiety and depressive disorders in Belgium between 2004 and 2013: how may both disorders be intertwined?

Abstract Background While medicalization and pharmaceuticalization trends of feelings of anxiety and depression have been described in great detail, an empirical examination of these trends is to date lacking. The current study fills this gap in the literature by mapping the use of psychotropic medicines for feelings of anxiety and depression between 2004 and 2013 in Belgium, as well as by examining whether a social gradient might act as a mediator. Methods We analyzed data from three repeated cross-sectional waves (2004, 2008, and 2013) of the Belgian National Health Interview Survey (HIS). M... Mehr ...