Use of psychotropic medications in Italian children and adolescents

The evidence of psychotropic drug safety and efficacy in the pediatric population is scant and widely debated. Yet, the prescription prevalence and incidence are increasing. A drug utilization study, based on a multiregional prescription database was therefore carried out in a sample of 1,484,770 Italian children and adolescents younger than 18 years during the year 2004. Furthermore, the trend of psychotropic prescription prevalence was evaluated from 1998 to 2004. During 2004, 4,316 children and adolescents received psychotropic drugs (2.91 per thousand youths). Antidepressants were prescribed to 3,503 youths (2.36 per thousand), antipsychotics to 1,005 (0.68 per thousand), and lithium to 73 (0.05 per thousand). A total of 265 youths received drugs from more than one psychotropic class. The prevalence rate of psychotropic drug prescriptions increased with increasing age, with a statistically significant trend ([Formula: see text]; p<0.0001), and it increased in the period 1998-2004 with a statistically significant trend ([Formula: see text]; p<0.0001), reaching its highest value in 2002 (3.08 per thousand). The trend for antidepressants was similar ([Formula: see text]; p<0.0001), while the prevalence of antipsychotics did not increase.

Even though the prevalence of psychotropic drug prescriptions in Italian children is lower than that reported in other countries (e.g. United States, Canada, Netherlands, UK), the increase in antidepressant prescriptions raises some concerns. Data concerning safety and efficacy of these antidepressants in pediatrics are still limited and further studies are needed to guarantee evidence based therapeutic approaches in children, adolescents and their families.