An article published by PolicyLab’s David Rubin, Meredith Matone and colleagues reports national and state-specific trends in the use of psychotropic medications among children in foster care from 2002 to 2007. Among the study’s principal findings was the consistent rise over the period in rates of antipsychotic use--a class of psychotropic medication--that stood in contrast to trends in the use of other psychotropic medications, which exhibited declines during the latter half of the period. Additionally, the study found wide variation by state in the rates of both antipsychotic use and polypharmacy (use of more than three classes of psychotropics) among children in foster care.
The safe and limited use of psychotropic medications is a current federal priority following research revealing high prescription rates of these medications among children, with exceptionally high rates among children in foster care. This data can inform oversight and monitoring efforts and illustrates a need for a wider array of available treatment strategies for children in foster care with mental health needs.
Read the
1-page brief and
press release. Stay tuned for an interactive feature showcasing state and national data from this study, coming this summer.
PolicyLab: Center to Bridge Research, Practice, and Policy at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute announces our newest Evidence to Action brief, Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy. This brief reviews the evidence related to adolescent pregnancy prevention and suggests practical, data-driven actions for reducing pregnancy during adolescence.
