<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-006_s_001"><h3>Background:</h3><p>According to previous reports from many countries (e.g., the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom), the use of antipsychotic drugs has increased among young people. Antipsychotics have also increasingly been prescribed for non-psychotic disorders.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-006_s_002"><h3>Objective</h3><p>The purpose of this study was to estimate the rate at which antipsychotics were prescribed for young people in the age groups of 10 to 14 years, 15 to 19 years, and 20 to 24 years in Finland in the years 2000, 2005, and 2010.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-006_s_003"><h3>Methods</h3><p>This was a nationwide register study using data from the databases of Statistics Finland and the Finnish National Prescription Register. Statistics Finland’s databases provided background information, including the total number of young people and the Finnish National Prescription Register keeps record of all drug orders reimbursed by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-006_s_004"><h3>Results</h3><p>The prescription of antipsychotics grew 6.8-, 4.6-, and 2.6-fold over the study period for these three age groups, respectively. For the youngest age group, use was more common among males than females in all three periods studied. During the course of the study period, the use of antipsychotics became more common among females: in 2010, antipsychotics were more commonly used among females than males in both the 15- to 19-year-old age group and the 20- to 24-year-old age group. The younger the patient, the higher the probability that the indication for medication was a non-psychotic disorder.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-006_s_005"><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>In Finland, the trends involved in the prescription of antipsychotic medications resemble those seen in many Western countries. Therefore, it is important that the safety and effectiveness of these pharmaceuticals be investigated among young people as well.</p></sec></abstract>

Background:According to previous reports from many countries (e.g., the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom), the use of antipsychotic drugs has increased among young people. Antipsychotics have also increasingly been prescribed for non-psychotic disorders.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to estimate the rate at which antipsychotics were prescribed for young people in the age groups of 10 to 14 years, 15 to 19 years, and 20 to 24 years in Finland in the years 2000, 2005, and 2010.MethodsThis was a nationwide register study using data from the databases of Statistics Finland and the Finnish National Prescription Register. Statistics Finland’s databases provided background information, including the total number of young people and the Finnish National Prescription Register keeps record of all drug orders reimbursed by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.ResultsThe prescription of antipsychotics grew 6.8-, 4.6-, and 2.6-fold over the study period for these three age groups, respectively. For the youngest age group, use was more common among males than females in all three periods studied. During the course of the study period, the use of antipsychotics became more common among females: in 2010, antipsychotics were more commonly used among females than males in both the 15- to 19-year-old age group and the 20- to 24-year-old age group. The younger the patient, the higher the probability that the indication for medication was a non-psychotic disorder.ConclusionsIn Finland, the trends involved in the prescription of antipsychotic medications resemble those seen in many Western countries. Therefore, it is important that the safety and effectiveness of these pharmaceuticals be investigated among young people as well.

The Growing Trend of Prescribing Antipsychotics for Young People in Finland, 2000 to 2010

Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Background:According to previous reports from many countries (e.g., the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom), the use of antipsychotic drugs has...

The Growing Trend of Prescribing Antipsychotics for Young People in Finland, 2000 to 2010

Article Category: research-article

Published Online: Nov 30, 2015

Page range: 31 - 35

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/sjcapp-2016-006

Keywords
Antipsychotics, child, adolescent

© 2016 Kirsi-Maria Haapasalo-Pesu et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The Growing Trend of Prescribing Antipsychotics for Young People in Finland, 2000 to 2010

Article Category: research-article

Published Online: Nov 30, 2015

Page range: 31 - 35

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/sjcapp-2016-006

KeywordsAntipsychotics, child, adolescent

© 2016 Kirsi-Maria Haapasalo-Pesu et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Antipsychotics, child, adolescent