The Swiss population is increasingly turning to medication: a quarter takes painkillers

In 2022, 55 percent of the population took medication seven days before the survey. The consumption of painkillers in particular is increasing: in 1992, 12 percent took painkillers, but by 2022 this had already risen to 26 percent.

This is evident from the 'Swiss Health Survey 2022', which the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) published on Monday. A quarter of the population aged 15 years and older suffered from serious physical complaints in the four weeks prior to the study and a third slept poorly.

Medication use has increased steadily over the past thirty years: in 1992, 38 percent had taken a medication seven days before the survey. In the year under review this was more than half. Women used medication more often than men. The proportion of people taking medications increases with age, reaching 86 percent of people over 75 years of age.

Nine percent of the population was taking a psychotropic drug, such as antidepressants, tranquilizers or sleeping pills. In contrast to painkillers, the share of psychotropic drugs has remained stable since 2007.

In 2022, the vast majority of the population (85 percent) still rates their health as good or very good, while only 3 percent rates it as poor or very poor.

However, 25 percent suffered from serious physical complaints in the last four weeks before the survey. These complaints are partly caused by psychosocial characteristics of living conditions such as stress.

General weakness (46 percent) and back or lower back pain (45 percent) are the most common physical complaints. Women are most likely to report general weakness (54 percent), while men are the first to report back pain (40 percent). These physical complaints have increased compared to 1992. (pre/sda)