PhD alumna, professor publish paper on psychotropic medication use in dementia patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jung Min Yoon, PhD '21, RN, (right) and Alison M. Trinkoff, ScD, MPH, RN, FAAN, (left) professor, published "Psychotropic use for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis," in the Nov. 21 issue of the journal BMC Geriatrics.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the provision of quality care for behavioral and psychological symptoms in older adults with dementia may have been impeded due to physical distancing and infection control measures. Of particular concern is whether psychotropic medication use has increased despite its limited efficacy and adverse effects. This systematic review described the trajectory of psychotropic use for older adults with dementia across various settings, from community living to health care settings during the pandemic. Also, psychotropic use was explored in relation to patients, caregivers, and environment-related factors along with the occurrence of the pandemic.
The review indicates a higher risk of psychotropic use, especially antipsychotics, during the pandemic. Nonetheless, underlying reasons for the increased psychotropic use are not fully available from the reviewed studies. Therefore, further research is needed to identify the factors driving psychotropic use during the pandemic and facilitate the development of quality improvement interventions that can be implemented to minimize inappropriate psychotropic prescribing in future pandemics.