Insomnia and associated pharmacological prescription in the adult population in primary care in Central Catalonia from 2018 to 2024.

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the prevalence, the annual rate of insomnia diagnosis and the associated pharmacological prescription in Central Catalonia during the 2018-2024 period.

DESIGN

Population-based retrospective observational study using collected electronic primary care health records (ECAP) from 2018 to 2024. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, insomnia prevalence, annual diagnosis rates and associated pharmacological prescribing patterns were analysed.

SETTING

Primary care centres in Central Catalonia, Spain.

PARTICIPANTS

Adult population of Central Catalonia diagnosed with insomnia between 2018 and 2024.

RESULTS

The prevalence of insomnia increased by 43.4% during the study period, reaching 11.17% (95% CI 11.05 to 11.28) in 2024. The factors associated with higher prevalence were advanced age, female sex, residence in urban areas, polypharmacy and mental health comorbidity. The percentage of people with insomnia receiving pharmacological treatment increased from 47.88% (2018) to 55.11% (2024). Among patients receiving pharmacological treatment, anxiolytics were the most frequently prescribed medication class (36.68% in 2018 to 39.44% in 2024), followed by hypnotics and sedatives.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of insomnia and the use of pharmacological treatments among patients with insomnia-including anxiolytics, hypnotics and sedatives-have increased in recent years. These findings demonstrate the need to improve strategies in managing insomnia in primary care in order to promote the use of the first-line tool in the treatment of insomnia, cognitive behavioural therapy and thereby minimise pharmacological overprescription.