Universität zu Köln

Abbas, Sascha, Ihle, Peter, Adler, Juergen-Bernhard, Engel, Susanne, Guenster, Christian, Linder, Roland, Lehmkuhl, Gerd and Schubert, Ingrid (2016). Psychopharmacological Prescriptions in Children and Adolescents in Germany. Dtsch. Arztebl. Int., 113 (22-23). S. 396 - 408. COLOGNE: DEUTSCHER AERZTE-VERLAG GMBH. ISSN 1866-0452

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Abstract

Background: In view of the well-known increase in prescriptions of stimulants for children and adolescents over the last 20 years, it is important to study trends in the prevalence and incidence of the use of other psychotropic drugs by this age group as well, to enable an early response to potential problems in the current care situation. Methods: We used nationwide data from German statutory health insurance funds (Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse [AOK], all insurees; Techniker Kranken-kasse [TK], a 50% randomized sample) concerning all insurees aged 0-17 years (5.0 million people in 2012) to study trends in the prevalence and incidence of psychotropic medication use as well as initially prescribing medical specialties over the period 2004-2012, both for the overall group of psychotropic drugs and for selected subgroups of drugs. Results: From 2004 to 2012, the prevalence of psychotropic drug prescriptions (not including herbal and homeopathic substances) for children and adolescents rose from 19.6 to 27.1 per 1000 individuals. Marked rises were seen for stimulants (10.5 to 19.1 per 1000) and antipsychotic drugs (2.3 to 3.1 per 1000), while the prevalence of antidepressant prescriptions remained constant at about 2 per 1000. The rates of new prescriptions from 2006 to 2012 were generally constant or decreasing; for the overall group of (non-herbal, non-homeopathic) psychotropic drugs, the rate of new prescriptions fell from 9.9 to 8.7 per 1000. There was a trend toward the issuance of new prescriptions by medical specialists, rather than by family physicians and pediatricians. Conclusion: The observed increased prevalence of psychotropic drug use among children and adolescents appears to be due not to an increased rate of initial prescriptions for these drugs, but rather to a rise in the number of patients who, once having received such drugs, were given further prescriptions for them in the years that followed.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Abbas, Sascha UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Ihle, Peter UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Adler, Juergen-Bernhard UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Engel, Susanne UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Guenster, Christian UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Linder, Roland UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Lehmkuhl, Gerd UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Schubert, Ingrid UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-272423
DOI:	10.3238/arztebl.2016.0396
Journal or Publication Title:	Dtsch. Arztebl. Int.
Volume:	113
Number:	22-23
Page Range:	S. 396 - 408
Date:	2016
Publisher:	DEUTSCHER AERZTE-VERLAG GMBH
Place of Publication:	COLOGNE
ISSN:	1866-0452
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language KIGGS WAVE 1; ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER; HEALTH-INSURANCE COMPANY; ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUG-USE; PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION; TIME TRENDS; PREVALENCE; POPULATION; YOUTHS; STATE Multiple languages Medicine, General & Internal Multiple languages
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/27242