Background:   Psychotropic drugs are not recommended for child and adolescent eating disorders, though they are used empirically for symptomatic treatment and co-morbid conditions. Little is known about rates of prescribing or the beneficial and adverse effects.

Objective:   To ascertain rates and outcomes of psychotropic drug prescribing in child and adolescent eating disorder services.

Method:   Retrospective case note study of eating disorder cases (n = 308), seen in one year in seven specialist UK services, covering indications, response to treatment, beneficial and adverse effects.

Results:   Drugs were prescribed for 27%, (mainly anorexia nervosa), 12% before referral to specialist services. The most commonly prescribed drugs were fluoxetine and olanzapine, but 26 different drugs were used. The most common indications were depression, anxiety and 'pseudo-psychotic' concerns about weight. Drugs were generally well tolerated, but their effectiveness was uncertain.

Conclusions:   Non-specialists commonly prescribe psychotropic medication to this vulnerable group without reference to specialist services. Specialists prescribe regularly on empirical grounds, without apparent undue consequences, though these may be under-reported. A prospective clinical trial would further clarify risks and benefits.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-3588.2009.00535.xDOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

child adolescent
12
adolescent eating
12
eating disorder
12
specialist services
12
drug prescribing
8
prescribing child
8
beneficial adverse
8
5
drugs
5
eating
4

Similar Publications

Background: Self-guided internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) achieves greater reach than ICBT delivered with therapist guidance, but demonstrates poorer engagement and fewer clinical benefits. Alternative models of care are required that promote engagement and are effective, accessible, and scalable.

Objective: This randomized trial evaluated whether a stepped care approach to ICBT using therapist guidance via videoconferencing for the step-up component (ICBT-SC[VC]) is noninferior to ICBT with full therapist delivery by videoconferencing (ICBT-TG[VC]) for child and adolescent anxiety.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The main objective of this prospective, multicenter study (REVEAL-CP) was to test children with cerebral palsy-like signs and symptoms for raised 3--methyldopa (3-OMD) blood levels, a biomarker for aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency (AADCd). A secondary objective was to characterize the molecular basis for the defective aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) gene product. Patients were identified in pediatric secondary and tertiary care hospitals through database searches and personal communication.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Parental Technoference and Child Problematic Media Use: Meta-Analysis.

J Med Internet Res

January 2025

Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China.

Background: Parental technoference, the interruption of parent-child interactions by technology, has been associated with negative outcomes in children's media use. However, the magnitude of this relationship and its moderating factors remain unclear.

Objective: This study aims to systematically examine the relationship between parental technoference and child problematic media use, as well as to identify moderating factors such as age, parental technoference group, study design, and type of problematic media use.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This study investigates the association between parental precarious employment (PE) and the mental health of their adolescent children, with a particular focus on how the association differs based on whether the mother or father is in PE.

Methods: This register-based study used the Swedish Work, Illness, and Labor-market Participation (SWIP) cohort. A sample of 117 437 children aged 16 years at baseline (2005) were followed up until 2009 (the year they turned 20).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Treatment options for patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) have increased in the era of targeted therapies such as brentuximab vedotin (BV) and Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) inhibitors. However, there is no standard treatment and limited published data evaluating their use. The goal of this retrospective study is to describe current real-world treatment and outcomes of pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients with R/R ALK-positive ALCL.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!