Age, race, and gender differences in antipsychotic medication use among children prior to entry to out-of-home care

Abstract

There is growing literature examining the use of psychotropic medications and specifically antipsychotic medications among youth in the United States. This study uses administrative claims data to assess antipsychotic medication use among children prior to being served in therapeutic out-of-home care settings and whether there are utilization differences by age, race, or gender. Florida Medicaid claims data were analyzed for children and adolescents receiving out-of-home care between July 2003 and June 2006. The majority of children and adolescents in out-of-home treatment settings received antipsychotic medications prior to the therapeutic care episode, but differences existed in treatment patterns across age, gender, and racial groups. Utilization was higher among youth ages 6-12 compared to those 13-18, and was higher among males than females. Blacks are less likely to be prescribed antipsychotics, but those prescribed antipsychotics receive them for the same number of days, and for the same number of months as Whites and Hispanics. Such differences require further investigation to determine whether they result from inadequate treatment and whether treatment differences are related to outcomes. © 2009 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.