title: Antipsychotic medication prescription patterns in adults with developmental disabilities who have experienced psychiatric crisis.
abstract: Antipsychotic medication rates are high in adults with developmental disability. This study considered rates of antipsychotic use in 743 adults with developmental disability who had experienced a psychiatric crisis. Nearly half (49%) of these adults were prescribed antipsychotics. Polypharmacy was common with 22% of those prescribed antipsychotics taking 2 or more antipsychotics at once. Predictors of multiple antipsychotic use included gender, residence, psychiatric diagnosis and previous hospitalizations. Implications of medication prescriptions to this vulnerable population are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Dual Diagnosis Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, West Toronto, ON, Canada. Yona_Lunsky@camh.net
authors.forename: Yona
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lunsky
authors.forename: Jonny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elserafi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents