{
  "abstract": "Purpose: To evaluate trends in psychotropic prescription rates (PRs) in a Peruvian general hospital during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\nMaterials and methods: We conducted an interrupted time-series (ITS) study using routinely collected clinical data from hospitalized patients with psychiatric diagnoses between September 2020 and December 2024. Psychotropic PRs, defined as the number of weekly psychotropic prescriptions per 1,000 psychiatric consultations, were calculated overall and by subclass: antidepressants (N06A), antipsychotics (N05A), anxiolytics (N05B), and mood stabilizers (N05AN01/N03A). For ITS analysis, the study period was divided into six predefined phases (two waves, three relaxation phases, and one post-pandemic phase) based on COVID-19 mortality and transmission trends in Peru. Segmented regression models were applied to estimate phase-specific level and slope changes.\n\nResults: A total of 6,151 patients were included. The overall psychotropic PR was higher during the post-pandemic period compared with the pandemic period (1,308 vs. 1,254; p = 0.023). ITS analyses showed a significant downward trend in overall psychotropic prescribing during phase 1 (post-first wave stabilization, β = −25.53; 95% CI = −43.82 to −7.01; p = 0.007), followed by a structural break in phase 2 (second pandemic wave) with an abrupt level increase (β = 295.53; 95% CI = 60.48 to 530.57; p = 0.014) and slope reversal (β = 23.79; 95% CI = 3.33 to 44.26; p = 0.016), after which prescribing stabilized. A similar temporal pattern was observed for antidepressant PR. Anxiolytic PR displayed a transient upward slope change in phase 2 (β = 14.15; 95% CI = 1.80 to 26.50; p = 0.01), whereas antipsychotic and mood stabilizer prescribing remained stable across phases.\n\nConclusions: Overall psychotropic prescribing showed phase-specific disruption followed by structural rebound and subsequent stabilization across the COVID-19 and post-pandemic periods. These findings provide real-world evidence and underscore the need to monitor psychiatric prescribing and mental health service adaptation in middle-income settings.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences–University of Sorocaba",
    "Department of Human Medicine, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista",
    "Unidad de Investigación Básica y Traslacional, Auna Ideas",
    "Psychiatry Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "José Salvador-Carrillo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ana Carolina Figueiredo-Modesto"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Luciane Cruz-Lopes"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Claudio Flores-Flores"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Joseph Pinto"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Jeff Huarcaya-Victoria"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3kn3z0pema06w.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fpubh.2026.1892034",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13693525",
  "id": "3kn3z0pema06w",
  "issns": [
    "2296-2565"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1892034/full",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3203|COVID-19 and Mental Health"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221090856",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13693525?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13693525",
  "pmid": "42921510",
  "published": "2026-10-09",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3kn3z0pema06w.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:22Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fpubh.2026.1892034",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1892034/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:33Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42921510",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921510"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:3203|COVID-19 and Mental Health",
      "subfield": "psychiatry"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Psychotropic prescribing trends in a Peruvian General Hospital during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time-series analysis",
  "title_text": "Psychotropic prescribing trends in a Peruvian General Hospital during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time-series analysis",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:33Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3kn3z0pema06w",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Public Health",
  "versions": []
}