Publication Date
2018
Journal Title
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
Abstract
© 2018 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Our traditional names for psychotropic medication classes lead to unnecessary confusion. As clinicians, we have grown comfortable with idiosyncratic names of psychotropic medications and have forgotten how unclear and misleading they can be. For example, evidence shows that serotonin reuptake inhibitors help in pediatric anxiety disorders, but a parent with an anxious child might ask, “If you diagnosed my son with separation anxiety, why are you giving him an antidepressant?” Another parent might object to the use of a “stimulant” medication, “My daughter never slows down, the last thing she needs is a stimulant!” Similarly, an “antipsychotic” can be prescribed on-label to youth with mania, bipolar depression, tics, or irritability in autism but families and patients might be confused by or object to the implied label of being “psychotic.” Furthermore, patients or family members may not feel comfortable asking clarifying questions and simply do not return for follow up—concluding that the provider does not understand their child.
Volume Number
57
Issue Number
10
Pages
719 - 721
Document Type
Article
Status
Faculty
Facility
School of Medicine
Primary Department
Psychiatry
Additional Departments
Molecular Medicine
PMID
DOI
10.1016/j.jaac.2018.05.024