A new study has found that children with ADHD are commonly prescribed antipsychotic medicine despite not having any of the conditions which such medicine is normally used to treat. Out of all children with ADHD studied, 12% were prescribed antipsychotic medication in addition to more common treatments like Adderall or Ritalin, and of those children, 25% did not have another condition which would require antipsychotic medication.
Worrying study finds that children with ADHD are often wrongly prescribed antipsychotics.
Study finds that ADHD children are often incorrectly prescribed with antipsychotics.
The researchers do not know why children are being prescribed antipsychotics, but suggest that going to see a psychiatrist may be a contributing factor. It is unclear why this occurs, but other experts suggest that perhaps psychiatrists prescribe antipsychotics if they suspect the child has another condition, but are uncomfortable making a diagnosis. Because of the significant side effects and risks associated with antipsychotics, it is important that their inappropriate prescription is stopped.
Key takeaways
- A recent study has found that children with ADHD are often prescribed antipsychotic medication despite not having any condition for which such medication would normally be prescribed.
- The study found that 12% of children with an ADHD diagnosis were prescribed antipsychotic medication, and of those children, 28% did not have any other diagnosis besides ADHD.
- The study indicates that visiting a psychiatrist may result in a prescription for antipsychotics more commonly than not visiting a psychiatrist, but notes that more research needs to be done into why these children are being prescribed antipsychotics.
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