Psychotropic Treatment Pattern in Medicaid Pediatric Patients With Concomitant ADHD and ODD/CD.

OBJECTIVE: To describe psychotropic treatment pattern and evaluate the association of socio-demographic factors and psychotropic combination therapy in children with ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD). METHOD: This is a cross-sectional drug utilization study based on Medicaid fee-for-service programs in 26 U.S. states (1999-2006). Children aged 4 to 18 with concomitant ADHD and ODD/CD were included. We calculated the prevalence of psychotropic drugs and used logistic regression to evaluate the role of socio-demographic factors in psychotropic combination therapy. RESULTS: We identified 121,740 children with ADHD and ODD/CD (140,777 person-years). The period prevalence of "no psychotropic therapy," psychotropic monotherapy, and psychotropic dual therapy was 38.1%, 44.7%, and 9.0%, respectively. The most common drug class was stimulants. Whites, males, and children in foster care were more likely to use psychotropic combination therapy. State-level variation was observed. CONCLUSION: "No psychotropic therapy" and stimulants dominate treatment choices in children with ADHD and ODD/CD. Socio-demographic characteristics are associated with combination psychotropic therapy.

Foster care, externalizing disorders, and antipsychotic use among Medicaid-enrolled youths.

OBJECTIVES: The authors investigated the extent to which clinical diagnoses of externalizing disorders explain higher rates of antipsychotic use by foster care youths. METHODS: Medicaid claims data from 44 states for 2009 for youths in foster care (N=301,894) and those not in foster care (N=5,092,574) were analyzed, excluding those with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, and major depressive disorder. Logistic regressions assessed the relationship between foster care, externalizing disorders, and antipsychotic use. RESULTS: Foster care youths had higher rates of externalizing disorders than the comparison group (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, 17.3% versus 6.5%; disruptive behavior disorder, 7.2% versus 2.5%; conduct disorder, 2.3% versus .5%) and greater antipsychotic use (7.4% versus 1.4%). Foster care remained a significant predictor of antipsychotic use after control for demographic and diagnostic covariates, including externalizing disorders (adjusted odds ratio=2.59, 95% confidence interval=2.54-2.63). CONCLUSIONS: High rates of externalizing disorder diagnoses only partially explained elevated levels of antipsychotic use in this vulnerable population.

Childhood predictors of use and costs of antidepressant medication by age 24 years: findings from the Finnish Nationwide 1981 Birth Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: Prior studies on antidepressant use in late adolescence and young adulthood have been cross-sectional, and prospective associations with childhood psychiatric problems have not been examined. The objective was to study the association between childhood problems and lifetime prevalence and costs of antidepressant medication by age 24 years. METHOD: A total of 5,547 subjects from a nation-wide birth cohort were linked to the National Prescription Register. Information about parent- and teacher-reported conduct, hyperkinetic and emotional symptoms, and self-reported depressive symptoms was gathered at age 8 years. The main outcome measure was national register-based lifetime information about purchases of antidepressants between ages 8 and 24 years. In addition, antidepressant costs were analyzed using a Heckman maximum likelihood model. RESULTS: In all, 8.8% of males and 13.8% of females had used antidepressants between age 13 and 24 years. Among males, conduct problems independently predicted later antidepressant use. In both genders, self-reported depressive symptoms and living in other than a family with two biological parent at age 8 years independently predicted later antidepressant use. Significant gender interactions were found for conduct and hyperkinetic problems, indicating that more males who had these problems at age 8 have used antidepressants compared with females with the same problems. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood psychopathology predicts use of antidepressants, but the type of childhood psychopathology predicting antidepressant use is different among males and females.

Is stacking intervention components cost-effective? An analysis of the Incredible Years program.

OBJECTIVE: Research demonstrates that interventions targeting multiple settings within a child's life are more effective in treating or preventing conduct disorder. One such program is the Incredible Years Series, which comprises three treatment components, each focused on a different context and type of daily social interaction that a child encounters. This article explores the cost-effectiveness of stacking multiple intervention components versus delivering single intervention components. METHOD: The data involved 459 children, ages 3 to 8, who participated in clinical trials of the Incredible Years Series. Children randomized to one of six treatment conditions received one or more of the three following program components: a child-based program, a parent training program, and a teacher-based program instructing teachers in classroom management and in the delivery of a classroom-based social skills curriculum. RESULTS: Per-child treatment costs and child behavior outcomes (observer and teacher reported) were used to generate cost-effectiveness acceptability curves; results suggest that stacking intervention components is likely cost-effective, at least for willingness to pay above $3,000 per child treated. CONCLUSIONS: Economic data may be used to compare competing intervention formats. In the case of this program, providing multiple intervention components was cost-effective.

Regional variation and clinical indicators of antipsychotic use in residential treatment: a four-state comparison.

The last decade saw an increase in psychotropic use with pediatric populations. Antipsychotic prescriptions are used frequently in residential treatment settings, with many youth receiving antipsychotics for off-label indications. Residential treatment data from 4 states were examined to determine if regional variation exists in off-label prescription and what clinicalfactors predict use. The study used clinical and pharmacological data collected via retrospective chart reviews (N = 732). The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Assessment-Mental Health Version was used to measure symptom and risk severity. Of youth receiving antipsychotics, 42.9% had no history of or current psychosis. Statistical analyses resulted in significant regional variation in use across states and yielded attention deficit/impulsivity, physical aggression, elopement, sexually abusive behavior, and criminal behavior as factors associated with antipsychotic prescription in nonpsychotic youth. Antipsychotic prescription is inconsistent across states. Off-label prescription is frequent and likelihood of use increases with behavior problems.

Receipt of psychotropic medication by people with intellectual disability in residential settings.

Previous studies have reported that the rate of prescription of antipsychotic medication for people with intellectual disability is far in excess of the expected prevalence of psychoses for this population. Recent research identifying factors which predict the use of psychotropic medication suggests that challenging behaviour may play a key role in determining the receipt of antipsychotic medication. The present study reports the prevalence of psychoactive medication receipt for 500 people with intellectual disability living in different forms of residential provision in the UK. Variables which predict the receipt of psychotropic medication are also identified. The results show differences between forms of residential provision in rates of medication receipt. Analyses of predictors of psychotropic medication receipt suggest that, whilst the receipt of antidepressants is predicted by symptoms of mental ill health, the receipt of both antipsychotics and hypnotics/anxiolytics is predicted by variables related to challenging behaviour.

Practice parameters for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with conduct disorder. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

These practice parameters address the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of conduct disorder in children and adolescents. Voluminous literature addresses the problem from a developmental, epidemiological, and criminological perspective. Properly designed treatment outcome studies of modern psychiatric modalities are rare. Ethnic issues are mentioned but not fully addressed from a clinical perspective. Clinical features of youth with conduct disorder include predominance in males, low socioeconomic status, and familial aggregation. Important continuities to oppositional defiant disorder and antisocial personality disorder have been documented. Extensive comorbidity, especially with other externalizing disorders, depression, and substance abuse, has been documented and has significance for prognosis. Clinically significant subtypes exist according to age of onset, overt or covert conduct problems, and levels of restraint exhibited under stress. To be effective, treatment must be multimodal, address multiple foci, and continue over extensive periods of time. Early treatment and prevention seem to be more effective than later intervention.