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Prescribing More Psychotropic Medications for Children
What Does the Increase Mean?
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158:829-830.
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The 1990s may become known as the decade of psychotropic medication use in children. This includes, to differing degrees, several classes of drugs: stimulants, antidepressants (especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs]), antianxiety agents, and antipsychotics. Evidence of increasing use among children of various ages has been mounting for years. Previous studies have demonstrated higher rates of psychoactive prescription use in adolescents,1 preschoolers,2 and those in between.3 These medications have been prescribed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, depression, and various other behavioral, mental, or learning disorders.
The article by Cooper et al4 contributes to this accumulating evidence by examining the changes in prescription rates of one class of medications given to children and adolescents (aged 2 to 18 years) in a large specific population (TennCare). The authors focus on new users of atypical antipsychotics in the Tennessee Medicaid population. By new users (perhaps better termed new uses), they designate . . . [Full Text of this Article]
Peter Conrad, PhD
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New Users of Antipsychotic Medications Among Children Enrolled in TennCare
William O. Cooper, Gerald B. Hickson, Catherine Fuchs, Patrick G. Arbogast, and Wayne A. Ray
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158(8):753-759.
ABSTRACT
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Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2006;160:818-822.
ABSTRACT
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