BACKGROUND The limited number of systematic, controlled studies that assess the safety and efficacy of psychotropic medications for children reinforce the hesitation and reluctance of parents to administer such medications. The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of parents of children with psychiatric disorders, towards psychotropic medication. METHODS A 20-item questionnaire ...

OBJECTIVES The use and combined use of psychotropic drugs and alcohol among older adults is a growing public health concern and should be constantly monitored. Relevant studies are scarce in Germany. Using data of the most recent national health survey, we analyse prevalence and correlates of psychotropic drug and alcohol use among this population. METHODS Study participants were people aged ...

In the biological, disease-oriented model of psychiatric illness, psychotropic medications are the frontline treatment. These medications have enabled many consumers of psychiatric mental health care to obtain relief from severe and disabling symptoms. Allegiance to the model continues as both consumers and psychiatric mental health professionals anxiously await approval of newer medications pr...

AIM To determine the prevalence of psychotropic medication prescribing in elderly nursing home residents in Slovenia and to explore the residents', physicians', and nursing home characteristics associated with prescribing. METHODS In a cross-sectional study, we collected the data for 2040 nursing home residents aged 65 years and older in 12 nursing homes in Slovenia between September 25 and N...

Background Mental health problems are common in England, and new medications potentially offer equal or greater efficacy with increased patient safety and fewer side-effects. Objective To examine the use of psychotropic medications in primary care, in particular the use of more modern drug therapies. Subjects and setting Using routinely collected computer data from 12 general practices with a c...

Psychiatric malpractice lawsuits frequently include allegations of negligence related to the use of psychotropic medications because these drugs are vital to the treatment of mental disorders. A host of controversies about the safety of psychotropic medications has been widely publicized, debated and considered in various realms (e.g., regulatory, research, clinical, drug industry, medical prof...

Within the last decade data on the burden of mental disorders worldwide demonstrates that it is a major public health problem affecting persons, their significant others and society more broadly. It has been estimated that globally one in four people will be affected by a mental disorder. Evidence is growing that these disorders can be effectively treated with both psychosocial counselling and ...

Objective: to report new prescriptions of psychotropic medications among adolescents presenting with new onset psychotic symptoms during a five-year period. Methods: The Northern Ireland Early Onset Psychosis Study (NIEOPS) is a naturalistic longitudinal observational study of patients with an early onset first psychotic episode. All patients aged less than 18 years presenting to specialist men...

PURPOSE The prescription of psychotropic medications to children and adolescents has increased dramatically over the last decade. However, the development of disparities in prescribing is poorly understood. We examined whether clustering of utilization is a common phenomenon among early adopters of medications described the characteristics of clusters. METHODS We obtained the complete Medicai...

This study exatnined patterns of psychotropic medication use among 120 participants with intellectual disabilities (ID) who used to live in facilities and now reside in community-based settings in Ontario. There were significantly more participants taking psychotropic medication in the community (83.30/0) than in the facility (74.2%). Of those who showed change, 4.2% were taking medication in t...