Please read Dr. Crystal’s article in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry titled, “Trends in Antipsychotic Medication Use in Young Privately Insured Children.“
Antipsychotics are frequently prescribed to children and adolescents in the United States, with annual use estimated at 1.7% for children and adolescents (0−17 years) insured by Medicaid in 2010 and 0.8% for privately insured children in 2013. Several antipsychotics are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, tic disorders, and severe irritability in autism spectrum disorders in children of various ages, and these drugs are prescribed off label to children with conduct disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression. Almost three-fourths of youth treated with antipsychotics in 2004 were diagnosed with conditions for which there was no FDA indication. To read the full article.
Trends in Antipsychotic Medication Use in Young Privately Insured Children. Bushnell GA, Crystal S, Olfson M. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2020 Oct 19:S0890-8567(20)31987-0. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2020.09.023 PMID: 33091567