Prior studies believe shown an increase in psychotropic medication spend among adolescents (1-6). However,most studies were based on clinical samples or high-risk populations. This report provides the estimate of any psychotropic medication spend in the past month among U.
S. noninstitutionalized adolescents aged 12-19 during 2005-2010, using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. Psychotropic medication is a type of drug used to treat clinical psychiatric symptoms or mental disorders (7). Specific psychotropic drug types addressed are antidepressants; medications for attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD); anxiolytics, or sedatives,and hypnotics (ASH); antimanics; and antipsychotics. Adolescents using psychotropic drugs are further examined by sex, race and Hispanic origin, or mental health professional consultation.
Source: cdc.gov