title: Psychotropic medication patterns among youth in juvenile justice.
abstract: This paper aims to determine the prevalence, patterns, and demographic and diagnostic correlates of psychotropic medication use in a sample of youth in one state's post-adjudicatory secure facilities. The health records database of the facilities was the source of linked demographic, diagnostic and pharmacy information for the 1-year period ending June 30, 2008. Age, gender, race, offense, prior petitions and diagnoses were examined across groups, and concomitant psychotropic pharmacotherapy patterns were identified. Period prevalence was 10.2% for youth ranging in age from 12 through 22 years who had any psychotropic drug prescribed during the first 30 days after intake to the facility. Among medicated youths, almost half received concomitant therapy. Medicated youth were significantly less likely to be Hispanic and more likely to endorse one or more diagnoses. Antidepressants, antipsychotics and antihistamines were the most commonly dispensed agents. Our findings revealed that the rate of psychotropic medication use was low, concomitant medication use was common, and ethnic/race differences in psychopharmacologic treatment were present in this sample of youths in post-adjudicatory secure facilities.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA. camilla.lyons@nyumc.org
authors: Camilla L
authors: CL
authors: Lyons
authors: Gail A
authors: GA
authors: Wasserman
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Olfson
authors: Larkin S
authors: LS
authors: McReynolds
authors: Hana
authors: H
authors: Musabegovic
authors: Joseph M
authors: JM
authors: Keating
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006633:Histamine Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018692:Antimanic Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D006633:Histamine Antagonists; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs