Psychopharmacologic treatment of aggressive preschoolers: a chart review.
Very young children with severe aggression are a growing focus of care in child psychiatry. Notwithstanding diagnostic uncertainties in this age group, medication, not usually considered a first-line intervention, is becoming a treatment option for a growing number of clinicians in spite of a dearth of research in this area. This chart review assessed the patient characteristics, diagnoses and treatment responses of aggressive preschoolers who were treated in a university child psychiatry outpatient clinic from 2001-2004. The most common diagnoses were Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Disruptive Behavior Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Medication was prescribed for a majority of the children with prominent aggression; atypical antipsychotics were prescribed with the greatest frequency, followed by stimulants and then alpha agonists--treatment response ratings indicated moderate to marked improved in a majority of the preschoolers who received one or a combination of these medications. Findings support the need for controlled trials of medication in preschoolers with severe aggression.
Staller
Jud A
JA
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants