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Abstract

Objective: Insufficient coping with stress may lead to increased susceptibility for disease and death. Use of anxiolytic-hypnotic drugs has been suggested as a coping strategy, and some opinions have proposed their use as preventive medication. The aim of this study was to estimate if use of anxiolytic-hypnotic drugs counters the increased mortality observed in individuals lacking other coping strategies such as emotional support and social participation. Methods: A population based cohort study with 10-year (1982/83 - 1993) survival analysis was performed in 491 men born in 1914, living in the Swedish city of Malmö. Results: Compared with men with a high level of psychosocial coping resources who did not use anxiolytic-hypnotic drugs, men with a low level of psychosocial coping resources had a higher risk of death irrespective whether they used anxiolytic-hypnotic drugs, RR=1.7 (95% CI 1.1 - 2.6) or not (RR=1.8 (95%: 1.3 - 2.5). Conclusion: Anxiolytic-hypnotic drugs do not seem to counter increased mortality in elderly men with low psychosocial coping resources.

Keywords

anxiolytic - hypnotic drugs coping elderly emotional support mortality social participation.

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Mortality in elderly men with low psychosocial coping resources using anxiolytic - hypnotic drugs

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