JAMA: Psychotropic Drug Use in Very Young Children

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Sun, 19 Mar 2006 21:34:55 -0500

[sSRI-Research] JAMA: Psychotropic Drug Use in Very Young

Children

 

 

 

Psychotropic Drug Use in Very Young Children

Joseph T. Coyle, MD

 

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/283/8/1059?maxtoshow= & HITS=10 & hits=\

10 & RESULTFORMAT= & fulltext=psychotropic+drugs & searchid=1142821918269_8825 & FIRSTIN\

DEX=0 & journalcode=jama

 

 

JAMA. 2000;283:1059-1060.

 

The study by Zito and colleagues1 in this issue of THE JOURNAL on the

use of psychotropic medications in very young children in 2 Medicaid

programs and a managed care organization suggests that 1% to 1.5% of

all children 2 to 4 years old enrolled in these programs currently are

receiving stimulants, antidepressants, or antipsychotic medications.

The authors also report that the prevalence of

neuropsychopharmacologic interventions in this age group increased

substantially during the last decade.

 

This reported increased use of psychotropic drugs in very young

children raises important questions. Are the findings aberrant? Are

they consistent with evidence-based medicine? Is there a reason to be

concerned about this new prescribing pattern?

 

Several recent studies provide additional evidence that the

prescription of psychotropic drugs to very young children has

increased during the last decade. In a review of information from the

Intercontinental Medical Statistics Study, . . . [Full Text of this

Article]