BACKGROUND Older adults throughout the developed world are at significant risk of osteoporotic fractures. Many studies have examined the relationship between the use of psychotropic medications and the risk of fractures, but these studies have reported conflicting results. PURPOSE To resolve discrepancies, we carried out a meta-analysis to assess the risk of fractures among users of several c...

Psychiatric disorders cover a wide range of clinical phenotypes and are generally classified by symptomatology in systems such as the classification outlined in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). In addition to counseling and other forms of behavioral treatment, treatment commonly involves 1 or more psychotropic m...

OBJECTIVE Children in the child welfare system are the most expensive child population to insure for their mental health needs. The objective of this article is to estimate the amount of Medicaid expenditures incurred from the purchase of psychotropic drugs - the primary drivers of mental health expenditures - for these children. METHODS We linked a subsample of children interviewed in the fi...

S udden cardiac death (SCD) accounts 1 out of 2 deaths from cardiovascular diseases. Identification of factors increasing the risk of SCD has been a challenge for both scientists and clinicians for decades, and the risk factors of SCD have been intensively studied. Some factors have already been identified that increase the risk of SCD. Currently recognized risk factors mainly reflect the demog...

CONTEXT Recent reports on the use of psychotropic medications for preschool-aged children with behavioral and emotional disorders warrant further examination of trends in the type and extent of drug therapy and sociodemographic correlates. OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of psychotropic medication use in preschool-aged youths and to show utilization trends across a 5-year span. DESIG...

Psychiatric drug treatment is characterized by large interindividual differences in drug response and dosage requirements. For example, only half of the patients will respond to antidepressant treatment and only one-third of patients experience a full remission of symptoms [1]. In terms of antipsychotic medication, approximately 20% to 35% of people affected by schizophrenia, under optimal anti...

Diabetes is common and seen in one in five patients with schizophrenia. It is more prevalent than in the general population and contributes to the increased morbidity and shortened lifespan seen in this population. However, screening and treatment for diabetes and other metabolic conditions remain poor for these patients. Multiple factors including genetic risk, neurobiologic mechanisms, psycho...