Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026
Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
Psychotropic medication use in a national probability sample of children in the child welfare system
Ramesh Raghavan1, Bonnie T Zima, Ronald M Andersen
1The National Center for Child Traumatic Stress, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90064, USA. rraghavan@mednet.ucla.edu
Insights
Psychotropic medication use is higher in children within the child welfare system compared to the general population. Factors like age, gender, race, and abuse history influence medication prescribing for these youth.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Pediatric Psychopharmacology
- Child Welfare Research
Background:
- Children in the child welfare system often exhibit complex behavioral and emotional needs.
- Understanding psychotropic medication use patterns is crucial for appropriate care within this vulnerable population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of psychotropic medication use among children in the child welfare system.
- To explore associations between child characteristics, provider type, and medication use.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW).
- Conducted weighted bivariate analyses on a nationally representative sample of 3114 children and adolescents.
- Included data from baseline and 12-month follow-up waves.
Main Results:
- In 2001-2002, 13.5% of children in child welfare used psychotropic medications.
- Higher medication use was linked to older age, male gender, Caucasian ethnicity, physical abuse history, public insurance, and specific Child Behavior Checklist scores.
- Lower medication use was associated with African-American and Latino ethnicities and neglect history.
Conclusions:
- Children in child welfare settings use psychotropic medications at 2-3 times the rate of community-treated children.
- Further research is needed to understand the nuances of psychotropic medication prescribing for children in the child welfare system.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to estimate the point prevalence of psychotropic medication use, and to describe relationships between child-level characteristics, provider type, and medication use among children in the child welfare system.
Methods:
The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being is the first nationally representative study of children coming into contact with the child welfare system. We used data from its baseline and 12-month follow-up waves, and conducted weighted bivariate analyses on a sample of 3114 children and adolescents, 87% of whom were residing in-home.
Results:
Overall, 13.5% of children in child welfare were taking psychotropic medications in 2001-2002. Older age, male gender, Caucasian race/ethnicity, history of physical abuse, public insurance, and borderline scores on the internalizing and externalizing subscales of the Child Behavior Checklist were associated with higher proportions of medication use. African-American and Latino ethnicities, and a history of neglect, were associated with lower proportions of medication use.
Conclusions:
These national estimates suggest that children in child welfare settings are receiving psychotropic medications at a rate between 2 and 3 times that of children treated in the community. This suggests a need to further understand the prescribing of psychotropic medications for child welfare children.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview
01:28Drug Therapy
Antianxiety Medications
01:26Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
01:02Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
01:15Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
01:22CNS Stimulants: Psychedelic Agents