title: National trends in the mental health care of children, adolescents, and adults by office-based physicians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite evidence of the increasing use of psychotropic medications, little is known about the broader changes in the delivery of outpatient mental health treatment to children, adolescents, and adults.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess national trends and patterns in the mental health care of children, adolescents, and adults in office-based medical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient visits to physicians in office-based practice from the 1995-2010 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (N = 446 542). Trends (1995-2010) in visits with mental health care indicators are first compared between youths (<21 years) and adults (≥21 years) and then between children (0-13 years) and adolescents (14-20 years). Background and clinical characteristics of recent visits (2007-2010) resulting in a mental disorder diagnosis are also compared among children, adolescents, and adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Visits resulting in mental disorder diagnoses, prescription of psychotropic medications, provision of psychotherapy, or psychiatrist care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 1995-1998 and 2007-2010, visits resulting in mental disorder diagnoses per 100 population increased significantly faster for youths (from 7.78 to 15.30 visits) than for adults (from 23.23 to 28.48 visits) (interaction: P < .001). Psychiatrist visits also increased significantly faster for youths (from 2.86 to 5.71 visits) than for adults (from 10.22 to 10.87 visits) (interaction: P < .001). Psychotropic medication visits increased at comparable rates for youths (from 8.35 to 17.12 visits) and adults (from 30.76 to 65.90 visits) (interaction: P = .13). While psychotherapy visits increased from 2.25 to 3.17 per 100 population for youths, they decreased from 8.37 to 6.36 for adults (interaction: P < .001). In 2007-2010, 27.4% of child visits, 47.9% of adolescent visits, and 36.6% of adult visits resulting in a mental disorder diagnosis were to a psychiatrist.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with adult mental health care, the mental health care of young people has increased more rapidly and has coincided with increased psychotropic medication use. A great majority of mental health care in office-based medical practice to children, adolescents, and adults is provided by nonpsychiatrist physicians calling for increased consultation and communication between specialties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olfson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Maryland Institute of Neuroscience and Development, Chevy Chase.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laje
authors.affiliation: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York4North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, New York.
authors.forename: Christoph U
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Correll
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000639:trends; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000639:trends*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs