This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on ISI (72)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related article  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Public Health, Other  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

1992 to 1998

Jerry L. Rushton, MD, MPH; J. Timothy Whitmire, PhD

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2001;155:560-565.

Background  Presciption trends have key implications for costs, outcomes, and research, yet few data exist on pediatric selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) trends and associations with stimulant trends.

Objective  To describe prescription trends for stimulants, SSRIs, and combination prescriptions by age, sex, and race.

Methods  Retrospective population-based analysis of North Carolina Medicaid prescription claims files.

Participants  North Carolina Medicaid recipients, 1992 through 1998, aged 1 to 19 years. The population ranged from 342 333 children in 1992 to 581 088 in 1998.

Main Outcome Measures  Annual number of prescriptions, patients filling a prescription claim, and prescription prevalence for stimulants and SSRIs.

Results  The number of children and adolescents who received stimulants increased from 6407 (24 584 claims) in 1992 to 27 951 (135 057 claims) in 1998. The number of SSRI recipients increased from 510 children (1326 claims) in 1992 to 6984 children (25 392 claims) in 1998. Prescription prevalence in school-aged children 6 to 14 years increased from 4.4% to 9.5% for stimulants during the study period, and from 0.2% to 1.5% for SSRIs. In 1998, stimulant prescription prevalence was highest for white school-aged males (18.3%) vs black females (3.4%) and SSRI prescription prevalence was highest for white school-aged males (2.8%) vs black females (0.6%). Combination pharmacotherapy also increased during 1992 through 1998.

Conclusions  Prevalence of stimulant and SSRI medications has increased during the 1990s, with prescription prevalence in North Carolina Medicaid youth higher than previously reported. Age, sex, and racial differences are apparent and call for further attention. Combination pharmacotherapy also has growing importance.

From the Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Dr Rushton); and the State Center for Health Statistics, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh (Dr Whitmire).

Corresponding author: Jerry L. Rushton, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Bldg, Room 6D05, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0456 (e-mail: jrushton{at}umich.edu).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati     What's this?

RELATED ARTICLE

Increased Psychotropic Medication Use: Are We Improving Mental Health Care or Drugging Our Kids?
Mark L. Wolraich
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2001;155(5):545.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Prevalence of methylphenidate use among Canadian children following parental divorce
Strohschein
CMAJ 2007;176:1711-1714.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Global Market For ADHD Medications
Scheffler et al.
Health Aff (Millwood) 2007;26:450-457.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Pediatric Antipsychotic Prescription Rates Soar
Schonwald
AAP Grand Rounds 2006;16:25-26.
FULL TEXT  

Targeted Child Psychiatric Services: A New Model of Pediatric Primary Clinician--Child Psychiatry Collaborative Care
Connor et al.
CLIN PEDIATR 2006;45:423-434.
ABSTRACT  

Effectiveness of a Quality Improvement Intervention for Adolescent Depression in Primary Care Clinics: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Asarnow et al.
JAMA 2005;293:311-319.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A drug utilisation study of antidepressants in children and adolescents using the General Practice Research Database
Murray et al.
Arch. Dis. Child. 2004;89:1098-1102.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Age Effects on Antidepressant-Induced Manic Conversion
Martin et al.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2004;158:773-780.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Use of Practice Guidelines in the Primary Care of Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Rushton et al.
Pediatrics 2004;114:e23-e28.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

National trends in concomitant psychotropic medication with stimulants in pediatric visits: Practice versus knowledge
Bhatara et al.
J Atten Disord 2004;7:217-226.
ABSTRACT  

Quality of Care for Medicaid-Covered Youth Treated With Antidepressant Therapy
Richardson et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2004;61:475-480.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Brief Reports: Use of Psychotropic Medications by Youths With Psychiatric Diagnoses in the U.S. Mental Health System
Warner et al.
Psychiatr. Serv. 2004;55:309-311.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Outpatient Treatment of Child and Adolescent Depression in the United States
Olfson et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2003;60:1236-1242.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Relationship Between Antidepressant Medication Treatment and Suicide in Adolescents
Olfson et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2003;60:978-982.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A Longitudinal Evaluation of Adolescent Depression and Adult Obesity
Richardson et al.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2003;157:739-745.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

National Trends in the Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Olfson et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2003;160:1071-1077.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Concomitant Psychotropic Medication for Youths
Safer et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2003;160:438-449.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Prescribing of Psychotropic Medications for Children by Australian Pediatricians and Child Psychiatrists
Efron et al.
Pediatrics 2003;111:372-375.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Psychotropic Practice Patterns for Youth: A 10-Year Perspective
Zito et al.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2003;157:17-25.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Consultation With the Specialist: The Central Serotonin Syndrome: Paradigm for Psychotherapeutic Misadventure
Arnold
Pediatr. Rev. 2002;23:427-432.
FULL TEXT  

National Trends in the Use of Outpatient Psychotherapy
Olfson et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2002;159:1914-1920.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Rising Prevalence of Antidepressants Among US Youths
Zito et al.
Pediatrics 2002;109:721-727.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Psychotropic Medication Use in a Population of Children Who Have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Guevara et al.
Pediatrics 2002;109:733-739.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

How Common Is Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder?: Incidence in a Population-Based Birth Cohort in Rochester, Minn
Barbaresi et al.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2002;156:217-224.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Increased Psychotropic Medication Use: Are We Improving Mental Health Care or Drugging Our Kids?
Wolraich
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2001;155:545-545.
FULL TEXT