Coyle, who is chair of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, tells WebMD that if a pediatrician, nurse, or teacher tells a parent that a child needs a psychiatric medication, the child should be assessed by a physician trained in diagnosing emotional or behavioral conditions. A prescription, he says, should not always be the first option. This trend may be causing physicians to prescribe more psychotropic medication. Wash. He was not involved in the study. The study was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health and the George and Leila Mathers Charitable Foundation.
Researchers report many more children are receiving medications for psychiatric disorders.
A study found that prescriptions for Ritalin and antidepressants rose significantly from 1991 to 1995. Physicians note that questions remain concerning the appropriateness and safety of these medications in children. They stress that often, more than medication is needed to treat these illnesses in young patients. All rights reserved. All rights reserved.