More young people are being prescribed multiple classes of psychiatric drugs at the same time, a study published Feb. 16 in JAMA Network Open found.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore, studied prescribing patterns among children younger than 17 in the state's Medicaid program. Researchers observed a 9.5% increase in children prescribed three or more psychiatric medications between 2015 and 2020.
Other studies have also recorded increases in the number of children being prescribed more than one type of psychiatric medications, according to a Feb. 16 New York Times report.
Children who were disabled or in foster care were significantly more likely to be prescribed multiple psychiatric drugs, including antidepressants, mood stabilizers, sedatives and ADHD treatments.
Some mental health experts are concerned that frequently prescribed drug combinations have not been approved for use in children, the New York Times reported, and it is unclear how their long-term use affects brain development.
Read the full study here.