Psychotropic Medication Use by Children with Autism Served in Publicly Funded Mental Health Settings

Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize patterns of and factors associated with psychotropic medication use in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) receiving publicly funded mental health services. Method: Data were extracted from 202 children with ASD participating in a cluster randomized trial of An Individualized Mental Health Intervention for ASD conducted in 29 publicly funded mental health programs. Children with ASD were aged 5 to 13 years (M = 9.1 years, SD = 2.4), and were 84.2% male and 59.9% Latinx. Child ASD and cognitive functioning were determined by standardized assessment. Caregivers reported child psychotropic medication use, behavior problems, ASD symptom severity, mental health symptoms, family demographics, and caregiver strain at the baseline. Results: Nearly half (49.5%) of participants used psychotropic medication(s) within the past 6 months, with stimulants being most commonly reported. Child co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (B = 1.55, p
Source: Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics - Category: Child Development Tags: Original Article Source Type: research