According to a study, children’s prescriptions for antipsychotics have doubled in the past 20 years.
The drugs, which have a sedative effect, are typically used in adults to treat serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia.
NHS regulator NICE has approved the use of some antipsychotics in young people under 18 with psychosis or severe aggressive behavior associated with a conduct disorder.
But researchers have found they are also routinely given to children as young as three for a growing variety of reasons, including autism and ADHD.
A team from the University of Manchester’s Center for Women’s Mental Health examined the primary care records of 7.2 million young people aged 3 to 18 years registered in GP practices between 2000 and 2019
They call the trend “worrying” and add that more research into the safety of these drugs for children is urgently needed.
A team from the University of Manchester’s Center for Women’s Mental Health examined the primary care records of 7.2 million young people aged 3 to 18 years registered in GP practices between 2000 and 2019.
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The overall rate of antipsychotic prescriptions was relatively low — 0.06 percent in 2000 and 0.11 percent in 2019 — but is increasing each year.
Every age group saw an increase, with boys and older children aged 15 to 18 more often prescribed antipsychotics such as risperidone and aripiprazole than girls and younger children.
Almost twice as many boys as girls are prescribed antipsychotics each year, with boys more likely to be diagnosed with autism, according to results published in Lancet Psychiatry.
Children living in underserved areas were more likely to be prescribed an older class of antipsychotics, which have been linked to side effects such as movement disorders like Parkinson’s, they found.
Dr. Matthias Pierce, who co-led the study, said the results “reveal an alarming trend in antipsychotic prescription among children and adolescents.”
He said the increase in children’s prescriptions was steady, suggesting it was not related to changes in prescription guidelines.
More information is needed about the possible effects of regular use of these drugs on children and their intellectual development, he said.
“We do not believe that the changes in prescribing are necessarily related to changes in clinical needs, but rather reflect changes in physician prescribing practices,” he said.
“We need more information about the conditions for which they are prescribed and what other options might be preferable.
“Then we need more research into the effects of these drugs, because little has happened so far.”
Professor Emily Simonoff, from the Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London, said the increase came as no surprise to clinicians.
She said there is “good evidence of their benefit for other conditions, such as irritability in autism spectrum disorders” and that they are often part of a broader treatment plan, including psychological or behavioral interventions.
She said: “This study could not determine whether such recommendations were followed or whether only medication was used.
“The authors point to a longer duration of prescriptions and rightly emphasize the need for high-quality, longer-term studies on efficacy and especially on side effects. This should be a research priority.’
The number of young people under the age of 18 with mental health problems has increased significantly in recent years.
Figures from NHS Digital show that the number of referrals for mental health care in the NHS reached 1,169,515 in 2021-22.
An NHS spokesman said: “The NHS is treating a growing number of children and young people with mental illness, with around 175,000 more children and young people receiving NHS-funded support than before the pandemic, thanks to initiatives such as schools’ mental health teams providing immediate support from the students.
“For people with learning disabilities or autism, the number of antipsychotic prescriptions has fallen every year since 2017, thanks to the NHS England campaign Stopping Over Medication of People with a Learning Behind or Autism. with clinical guidance from NICE and alongside other therapies.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
