title: The effect of location on psychotropic treatment practices among pediatricians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to examine how access factors affect prescribing practices of psychotropic medications among pediatricians. More specifically, the aim of the current study was to examine differences in the treatment of mental and behavioral health problems among children and adolescents across small nonmetropolitan, regional, metropolitan, and urban settings across the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 516 pediatricians working in outpatient clinics located in 12 US states, 3 in each of the following regions: New England, the Plains, the Pacific Northwest, and the South completed surveys on their prescription practices for children and adolescents with mental and behavioral health needs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings indicate that pediatricians in small nonmetropolitan settings with populations of fewer than 20,000 prescribe antidepressants; antianxiety, antipanic, and antiobsessive medication; antipsychotics; and mood stabilizers significantly more frequently than their counterparts in urban, metropolitan, and regional settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implications of these findings for clinical practice and training are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT 06117, USA. segool@hartford.edu
authors.forename: Natasha K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Segool
authors.forename: Tawnya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meadows
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thorson
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reisener
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs