title: Clinical characteristics of children receiving antipsychotic medication.
abstract: This study explored the demographic and diagnostic features of children who were currently receiving antipsychotics compared to children who were receiving other psychotropics in a cohort of children with and without elevated symptoms of mania (ESM). Participants were recruited from 10 child outpatient mental health clinics associated with four universities. Guardians with children between 6-12 years who presented for new clinical evaluations completed the Parent General Behavior Inventory-10 Item Mania Scale (PGBI-10M). All children who scored ≥12 on the PGBI-10M and a select demographically matched comparison group of patients who scored ≤11 were invited to participate. Children were divided into two groups: those receiving at least one antipsychotic medication and those receiving other psychotropic medications. The groups were compared on demographics, diagnoses, psychiatric symptoms, functioning, and past hospitalizations. Of the 707 children enrolled in the Longitudinal Assessment of Manic Symptoms (LAMS) study, 443 (63%) were prescribed psychotropic medication at baseline: 157 (35%) were receiving an antipsychotic and 286 (65%) were prescribed other agents. Multivariate results indicated that being prescribed antipsychotics was related to being white, previous hospitalization, having a psychotic or bipolar 1 disorder and the site where the child was receiving services (p<0.001). In this sample, it is relatively common for a child to be prescribed an antipsychotic medication. However, the only diagnoses associated with a greater likelihood of being treated with an antipsychotic were psychotic disorders or unmodified DSM-IV bipolar 1 disorder.
authors.affiliation: University Hospitals Case Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. robert.findling@uhhospitals.org
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Findling
authors.forename: Sarah McCue
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Horwitz
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Birmaher
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kowatch
authors.forename: Mary A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fristad
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Youngstrom
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Frazier
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Axelson
authors.forename: Neal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Christine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Demeter
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Depew
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.forename: Mary Kay
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Deyling
authors.forename: Brieana M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Rowles
authors.forename: L Eugene
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Arnold
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs