Incidence of ADHD medication use among Finnish children and adolescents in 2008-2019: a need for practice changes?

Aims: This study examined the incidence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medication among children and adolescents by sex and age group in Finland during 2008-2019.

Methods: The data on children and adolescents aged 6-18 years receiving reimbursement for any attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medication was collected from the nationwide register on reimbursed purchases. The incidence was calculated as a ratio of the number of new users and the number of age and sex-matched population at risk.

Polypharmacy in children and adolescents initiating antipsychotic drug in 2008-2016: a nationwide register study.

Objective: The use of antipsychotics in children and adolescents has increased rapidly. Little is known about psychotropic polypharmacy in children and adolescent initiating an antipsychotic drug. Thus, we investigated the frequency and predictors of polypharmacy during the first year of antipsychotic use in Finnish children and adolescents.

Antipsychotic Treatment Duration in Children and Adolescents: A Register-Based Nationwide Study.

Despite the increasing use of antipsychotic drugs in children and adolescents in many countries, little is known about the treatment duration in this vulnerable population. The present nationwide study investigated the duration of antipsychotic treatment and factors associated with treatment discontinuation in Finnish children and adolescents. All subjects aged 1-17 years who had started a second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) drug (risperidone, quetiapine, aripiprazole, or olanzapine) between January 2008 and December 2016 ( = 20,932) were extracted from the Finnish Prescription Registry and followed up until December 31, 2017.

New Users of Antipsychotics Among Children and Adolescents in 2008-2017: A Nationwide Register Study.

Introduction: Recently, prescribing antipsychotics for children and adolescents has been increasing in many countries. These drugs are often prescribed off-label, although antipsychotics have been associated with adverse effects. We determined the recent incidence of antipsychotic use among children and adolescents in Finland.