Childhood and adolescence disorders Changes in the preference of the psychotropic drugs in child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient practice in five years

Objective: Our aim is to evaluate the distribution of psychiatric diagnoses and the changes in preferred psychotropic medication in patients who are admitted to the child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic of a university hospital at two different time periods, including the years of 2007 and 2012.

Methods: The files of patients who were admitted to the child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic between January 2007-June 2007 and January 2012- June 2012 were examined retrospectively. Data of cases including diagnosis and treatments, for a period of 1 year from the first examination, were entered to a database and required statistics were applied by using SPSS 13.0.

Results: The records of 733 patients in 2007 (n= 257 female, n= 476 male) and 968 patients in 2012 (n= 440 female, n= 528 males) were examined in the study. The mean age of the patients was 7.1±2.5 years in 2007, and 8.8±3.9 years in 2012. Differences of ages were statistically significant (p<0.05, t= -10.31). At least one drug was preferred for 43, 8% of patients in 2007, this ratio was increased 45.7% (n= 442) in 2012. While 86.1% of the patients (n = 631) in 2007 were diagnosed to have at least one psychiatric disorder; this ratio in 2012 was 89.8% (n = 869). In addition, while the most preferred drugs for initial therapy were antidepressants, antipsychotics and anxiolytics in 2007, it was antidepressants, antipsychotics and stimulants in 2012. Also, in ADHD treatment, antidepressants, stimulants and antipsychotics were the primarily preferred group in 2007, but in 2012, stimulants, antipsychotics and atomoxetine were the most preferred drugs.

Conclusions: In this study, changes in distribution of diagnoses and treatment choices in child and adolescent psychiatry practice in five-years period were investigated. In the observed period, the changes in treatment practices in child and adolescent psychiatry were thought to be associated with the emergence of new treatment options and the beginning of significant changes in previous pharmacotherapeutic interventions.