Psychotropic Medication Use in Children and Youth with Autism Enrolled in Medicaid

This study examined national Medicaid claims from 2008 to 2016 of all children and youth with autism ages 0-21 years enrolled in Medicaid. Psychotropic medication use was examined across several child and youth characteristics, including age, co-occurring mental health conditions, sex, and race and ethnicity. About half of children and youth with autism enrolled in Medicaid had at least one psychotropic prescription in a year, a number that decreased slightly across the study period due to decreases in the prescription of antipsychotics. As new medications for autism or co-occurring conditions are developed and deployed, and as the understanding of the characteristics of the population of children with autism evolves, studying rates of medication usage helps to understand utilization patterns and differences in access to quality care.PMID:38113012 | DOI:10.1007/s10803-023-06182-5
Source: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research