ArticleJournal of clinical medicine2018
Use of Psychotropic Drugs among Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Denmark: A Nationwide Drug Utilization Study.
Article in Journal of clinical medicine, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Melatonin Use in Young Children: A Systematic Review.JAMA network open · 2026Pooled it
- Mapping trajectories of child and adolescent psychopathology: ascertainment of mental health needs in a general population.Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences · 2026Article
- Clinical determinants of psychiatric care in genetic neurodevelopmental disorders: a cross-sectional analysis.Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders · 2025Article
- Melatonin Interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Sleep Regulation, Behavioral Outcomes, and Challenges Across the Lifespan.Molecular neurobiology · 2025Review
- Adherence to treatment and parents' perspective about effectiveness of melatonin in children with autism spectrum disorder and sleep disturbances.Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health · 2023Article
- Observing the behavioural effects of methylphenidate in children and adolescents with ASD-ADHD dual diagnosis: A mini review.Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry · 2023Review
- Clinical predictors of psychotropic medication prescription in children with ASD of the ELENA cohort.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
- Core concepts in pharmacoepidemiology: Measures of drug utilization based on individual-level drug dispensing data.Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety · 2022Review
- Melatonin Treatment for Pediatric Patients with Insomnia: Is There a Place for It?Nature and science of sleep · 2022Review
- Psychological Distress and Use of Psychotropic Drugs Among University Students-the SHoT Study, Norway.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2021Article
- Medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in individuals with or without coexisting autism spectrum disorder: analysis of data from the Swedish prescribed drug register.Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders · 2020Article
- Methylphenidate in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Long-Term Follow up Naturalistic Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2020Article
- New Users of Antipsychotics Among Children and Adolescents in 2008-2017: A Nationwide Register Study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2020Article
- Do autistic patients change healthcare services utilisation through the transition age? An Italian longitudinal retrospective study.BMJ open · 2019Article
- Is There a Major Role for Undetected Autism Spectrum Disorder with Childhood Trauma in a Patient with a Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder, Self-Injuring, and Multiple Comorbidities?Case reports in psychiatry · 2019Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a considerable use of psychotropics. Leveraging nationwide registry data, we aimed to describe the use of psychotropics among children and adolescents with ASD in Denmark. Use of melatonin and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication increased from 2010 to 2017, while there were limited changes in use of antidepressants and antipsychotics. Thirty percent of the identified children used psychotropics in 2017 most commonly ADHD medication (17%) and melatonin (13%). Methylphenidate, sertraline and risperidone were most often prescribed. Most children filled more than one prescription and, across drug classes, at least 38% received treatment two years after treatment initiation. Use of psychotropics followed psychiatric comorbidities. Comorbidities did not affect age at treatment initiation. Use of psychotropics varied according to age and sex with limited use in the youngest children. In summary, psychotropic drug use has increased in children with ASD mainly due to an increase in the use of ADHD medication and melatonin. In accordance with previous studies, use seems to follow comorbidities. The long treatment duration underlines the need to investigate long-term effects of psychotropic drug use in children with ASD.
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Registered trials
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