Antipsychotic Use by Medicaid-Insured Youths: Impact of Eligibility and Psychiatric Diagnosis Across a Decade

Use of antipsychotics by children and adolescents has increased markedly. To identify contributing factors, this study analyzed 1997 and 2006 Medicaid data for more than 450,000 youths. The rate of antipsychotic use rose from 1.2% to 3.2%. A strong contributing factor was the notable growth in the size of the group covered by Medicaid because of their low family income (State Children's Health Insurance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). In 1997, these youths accounted for 20% of antipsychotic users, compared with 46% in 2006. Another “paramount” factor, note the authors, is treatment of externalizing behavior symptoms with antipsychotics.