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Prescription Trends of Psychotropics in Children and Adolescents with Autism Based on Nationwide Health Insurance

Minha Hong1, Seung Yup Lee2, Juhee Han2

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Seonam University College of Medicine, Myongji Hospital, Goyang, Korea.

Journal of Korean Medical Science
|September 7, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Psychotropic medication is prescribed for less than one-third of children newly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Prescription patterns vary by age and sex, highlighting the need for medication safety data and policies for autism.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often involves emotional and behavioral symptoms requiring pharmacotherapy.
  • Existing data on psychotropic medication use in children with ASD is limited.
  • Understanding medication trends is crucial for developing appropriate treatment guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the incidence of autism spectrum disorder diagnoses.
  • To analyze psychotropic medication prescription patterns in children with ASD.
  • To identify factors associated with psychotropic drug use in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Korean National Health Insurance Claims Database (NHICD) from 2010-2012.
  • Included over 31 million subjects under 19 years old.
  • Analyzed diagnostic codes (ICD-10 F84) and categorized psychotropic medications into seven classes.

Main Results:

  • Mean annual incidence of autism spectrum disorder was 5.52 per 10,000 population.
  • Psychotropic medications were prescribed to 5,348 (approximately 16.7%) of diagnosed patients.
  • Atypical antipsychotics and antidepressants were the most common prescriptions, with higher rates in older males and those with medical aid.

Conclusions:

  • Psychotropic drug use in children with autism is less than one-third of diagnosed cases and varies by age and sex.
  • Increased autism incidence correlates with increased psychotropic prescriptions.
  • There is a need for robust medication safety data and policies for psychotropic drugs in pediatric autism treatment.

Keywords:
AdolescentAntipsychotic AgentsAutistic Spectrum DisorderCentral Nervous System StimulantsChildDrug UtilizationIncidence

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