Women have a higher prevalence of using psychotropic drugs than men, according to a Council of Europe study.
The research showed that 19 per cent of Maltese women reported using prescription-based psychotropic drugs at some point in their life as opposed to seven per cent of men.
The figures showed a decrease in psychotropic drug use for both men and women since the findings of a 2001 report. But while the figures for men showed a decrease of three per cent, those for women registered a slight drop of less than one per cent.
Older people are also more likely to have used a prescription drug, with the 55 to 59 age group having the highest percentage of users.
Within this group, 20 per cent reported being on psychotropic drugs that include sedatives and tranquillisers.
The same age group was also the most prevalent in 2001, however at the time a quarter of respondents reported using psychotropic drugs.
19 per cent of Maltese women reported using psychotropic drugs
The recent study also showed that the average age of first use for any psychotropic medication was 35 for men and 31 for women.
Research findings showed that among lifetime users of sedatives, 36 per cent reported being unemployed and not seeking work while six per cent reported being unemployed and seeking work.
Another 38 per cent were employed, two per cent self-employed while four per cent reported being unable to work due to disability or illness.
The survey also found that lifetime use registered almost five per cent among those aged 18 to 24 years, which tallied with findings in the European School Survey project.
At 94 per cent, respondents said they bought the drugs after being issued a prescription by a doctor. Six per cent said they bought the medication without a prescription from the pharmacy.
The first-ever research of its kind with a focus on gender was conducted in 17 countries that form part of the Pompidou Group.
It was coordinated by Professor Marilyn Clark from the University of Malta.
The study, ‘The gender dimension of non-medical use of prescription drugs in Europe and the Mediterranean region’, identified women as a high risk category.
It revealed that the use of psychotropic drug use was “clearly higher for women across all age groups and time periods” in all the countries surveyed.
kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com