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Back | Search Headlines | Headlines 18 November 2004 Psychotropic drug use in UK children rising Two studies to be published in next months Archives of Disease in Childhood apparently show that the use of antidepressive, antipsychotic, anxiolytic, and CNS stimulant drugs in children is rising, and that the rate is rising faster in the UK than in several other countries worldwide. In one study, international prescribing data was used to show that between 2000 and 2002, the use of drugs in this group rose: for most countries the rise was significant, and in the UK it rose by 68%. Only two countries of the nine studied had relatively small rises (13%, in Canada and Germany). Much of the prescribing was for ADHD. A separate analysis of data from the UK GPRD showed that between 1992 and 2001, about 25,000 children were prescribed antidepressive drugs: just over half were given tricyclic antidepressives, and for younger children (<10) use was mostly for nocturnal enuresis. The authors comment that part of the increase will have been the result of better recognition of mental ill health in children and adolescents - in depression, drugs were widely used despite the limited evidence for their efficacy because there were few other options available. Arch Dis Child 2004; 89: 1098-1102 (UK study of antidepressive use), and 1131-3 (international study) - Archives of Disease in Childhood website;
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