A recently published study has revealed new insights into a medical issue that has long been present within the U.S. child welfare system.
Insights from the Study
As per a research letter published in August, children in the U.S. child welfare system are more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medication without receiving psychotherapy or behavioral intervention, as compared to other children with Medicaid.
Key Findings
The study used data from a national database, including all Medicaid Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries aged 3 to 17 years old, and found that a significant proportion of children and adolescents in the child welfare system were prescribed psychotropic medication without additional therapy.
Specifically, 26.25% of these individuals had a psychotropic medication prescription, and 13.27% had two or more such prescriptions, compared to 9.06% and 3.11% of other Medicaid-enrolled youths. The most common medications prescribed were stimulants, followed by antidepressants and antipsychotics.
Furthermore, 42.85% of children and adolescents in the child welfare system had a diagnosed mental health condition, with trauma or stressor-related disorders being the most prevalent diagnoses.
Expert Opinions
Dr. Louis Kraus, from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, stated that children in foster care are at a higher risk for developmental and psychiatric disorders due to the challenging nature of the foster care process.
Similarly, Dr. Rachael J. Keefe, a pediatrician, also expressed concerns about the over-prescription of psychotropic medications to children in foster care, citing alarming statistics from her own research.
Significance of the Findings
Dr. Keefe pointed out the lack of data on the safety and effectiveness of prescribing multiple psychotropic medications to children in foster care. Dr. Kraus emphasized the importance of children in the child welfare system receiving specialized care from child psychiatrists, rather than multiple general practitioners.
Both experts stressed the need for regular monitoring and close observation of medication effects, in addition to exploring alternative psychiatric services and behavioral interventions.
