Medication Prescribing Patterns at a Youth Mental Health Service: A Single Center Retrospective Cross-sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Pharmacology
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Elevated rates of mental illness in young people necessitate increased utilization of youth mental health services.
• Limited understanding exists regarding real-world medication usage and prescribing patterns within these specialized services.
• This study addresses the knowledge gap by examining medication prescribing at a youth mental health center.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and describe medication prescribing patterns at a specific Australian youth mental health service (headspace).
• To analyze demographic and clinical data alongside medication use and indications in young service users.
• To identify the most frequently prescribed medications and their reasons for use.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cross-sectional study design was employed, analyzing medical records from headspace Camperdown.
• Data were collected over a 13-month period (February 2021-February 2022) for participants aged 16-25.
• Information gathered included participant demographics, clinical presentations, prescribed medication details (molecule, strength, dose, prescriber), and indications.

Main Results:

• Records for 608 participants were analyzed; the median age was 19.9 years, with most identifying as female.
• Anxiety (40.5%) and low mood (15.6%) were the most common presenting concerns.
• Nearly half (47.9%) used medications at intake, and 19.6% were prescribed new medications by the service. Melatonin (24.0%), quetiapine (12.3%), escitalopram (15.1%), sertraline (11.2%), and fluoxetine (7.3%) were most frequently prescribed.

Conclusions:

• This study offers initial insights into medication prescribing practices within a single youth mental health service.
• The findings highlight the common use of antidepressants, melatonin, and quetiapine in this population.
• Further research is crucial to investigate the safety and efficacy of off-label prescribing, particularly for melatonin and quetiapine, in young people.