Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34855690›Full record

Trial reportJournal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP

Psychotropic Medication Use by Children with Autism Served in Publicly Funded Mental Health Settings.

Barbara Caplan, Colby Chlebowski, Gina May, Mary J Baker-Ericzén, Willard Connor, Lauren Brookman-Frazee

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Psychotropic Medication Use in 48,XXYY Syndrome.American journal of medical genetics. Part A · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Barbara CaplanDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, San Diego, CA.ORCID 0000-0003-0563-5411
Colby ChlebowskiDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, San Diego, CA.
Gina MayDepartment of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE.
Mary J Baker-EriczénDepartment of Administration, Rehabilitation and Post-Secondary Education, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA.
Willard ConnorDepartment of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego; and.ORCID 0000-0003-0418-9333
Lauren Brookman-FrazeeDepartment of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, Autism Discovery Institute at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego, San Diego, CA.ORCID 0000-0001-7582-7529

Funding

Effectiveness and Implementation of a Mental Health Intervention for ASDR01MH094317 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI BROOKMAN-FRAZEE, LAUREN · 2012 to 2016
$3.5M
NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH094317
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe aim of this study was to characterize patterns of and factors associated with psychotropic medication use in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) receiving publicly funded mental health services.

methodData were extracted from 202 children with ASD participating in a cluster randomized trial of An Individualized Mental Health Intervention for ASD conducted in 29 publicly funded mental health programs. Children with ASD were aged 5 to 13 years (M = 9.1 years, SD = 2.4), and were 84.2% male and 59.9% Latinx. Child ASD and cognitive functioning were determined by standardized assessment. Caregivers reported child psychotropic medication use, behavior problems, ASD symptom severity, mental health symptoms, family demographics, and caregiver strain at the baseline.

resultsNearly half (49.5%) of participants used psychotropic medication(s) within the past 6 months, with stimulants being most commonly reported. Child co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (B = 1.55, p < 0.01; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.53-2.57), lower cognitive functioning (B = -0.03, p = 0.02; 95% CI: -0.05 to <0.00), and non-Hispanic White ethnicity (vs Hispanic/Latinx; B = 1.02, p = 02; 95% CI: -1.89 to -0.14) were associated with a greater likelihood of using any type of medication. Factors associated with medication use varied by class: stimulants-ADHD, lower ASD symptom severity, and more intensive behavior problems; SSRIs-higher ASD symptom severity; alpha-2 agonists-ADHD, higher ASD symptom severity, lower cognitive functioning, and higher caregiver strain; and antipsychotics-none.

conclusionThe findings highlight factors associated with psychotropic medication use for a clinically complex population, which may inform community care improvement efforts.

Indexed as

Attention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityAutism Spectrum DisorderAutistic DisorderCentral Nervous System StimulantsChildFemaleHumansMaleMental HealthPsychotropic DrugsCentral Nervous System StimulantsPsychotropic Drugs

Identifiers

PMID34855690
PMCPMC9149143

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.