Patterns of Antidepressant and Antianxiety Medication Prescriptions in Pediatric Primary Care in the U.S
Background: Shortages of pediatric mental health (MH) specialty providers have left pediatric primary care providers (PPCP) to care for the influx of youth with MH needs. This study examined trends in prescription of antidepressants and antianxiety medication in pediatric primary care clinics from 2...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319251347906 |
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| author | Laura M. Prichett Andrea S. Young Ellie Wu Robert H. Yolken Emily G. Severance Juleisa Badio Meilin Zheng Tina Kumra |
| author_facet | Laura M. Prichett Andrea S. Young Ellie Wu Robert H. Yolken Emily G. Severance Juleisa Badio Meilin Zheng Tina Kumra |
| author_sort | Laura M. Prichett |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Shortages of pediatric mental health (MH) specialty providers have left pediatric primary care providers (PPCP) to care for the influx of youth with MH needs. This study examined trends in prescription of antidepressants and antianxiety medication in pediatric primary care clinics from 2015 to 2023. Methods: Annual rates of prescription of antidepressant and/or antianxiety medication orders were calculated by race/ethnicity, sex, and practice type. Adjusted mean differences (AMD) were calculated and compared for the beginning and end of the study period. Results: Prescription orders for antianxiety and/or antidepressant medications increased between 2015 and 2023 across all patients but was greatest among Hispanic youth (AMD = 50.9, 95% CI = 15.3-86.4) and among females irrespective of race (AMD = 29.3, 95% CI = 16.8-41.7). Despite these increases, non-Hispanic White youth were more likely to receive prescriptions than Hispanic and non-Hispanic Asian or Black youth across time periods. Family practices (treating adults and children) had the highest rates of prescription across time periods. Conclusions: While prescription rates for antidepressant and antianxiety medications have increased overall, treatment gaps between White and ethnoracially minoritized pediatric patients have persisted. Differences in prescribing patterns between practice environments suggest PPCPs may be more comfortable prescribing MH medications in family practices relative to pediatric practices. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b7217a3eb20a482596a8cf30d5e34f9e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2150-1327 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-b7217a3eb20a482596a8cf30d5e34f9e2025-08-20T03:21:31ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Primary Care & Community Health2150-13272025-06-011610.1177/21501319251347906Patterns of Antidepressant and Antianxiety Medication Prescriptions in Pediatric Primary Care in the U.SLaura M. Prichett0Andrea S. Young1Ellie Wu2Robert H. Yolken3Emily G. Severance4Juleisa Badio5Meilin Zheng6Tina Kumra7Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USAJohns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAJohns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAJohns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAJohns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAJohns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAJohns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAJohns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USABackground: Shortages of pediatric mental health (MH) specialty providers have left pediatric primary care providers (PPCP) to care for the influx of youth with MH needs. This study examined trends in prescription of antidepressants and antianxiety medication in pediatric primary care clinics from 2015 to 2023. Methods: Annual rates of prescription of antidepressant and/or antianxiety medication orders were calculated by race/ethnicity, sex, and practice type. Adjusted mean differences (AMD) were calculated and compared for the beginning and end of the study period. Results: Prescription orders for antianxiety and/or antidepressant medications increased between 2015 and 2023 across all patients but was greatest among Hispanic youth (AMD = 50.9, 95% CI = 15.3-86.4) and among females irrespective of race (AMD = 29.3, 95% CI = 16.8-41.7). Despite these increases, non-Hispanic White youth were more likely to receive prescriptions than Hispanic and non-Hispanic Asian or Black youth across time periods. Family practices (treating adults and children) had the highest rates of prescription across time periods. Conclusions: While prescription rates for antidepressant and antianxiety medications have increased overall, treatment gaps between White and ethnoracially minoritized pediatric patients have persisted. Differences in prescribing patterns between practice environments suggest PPCPs may be more comfortable prescribing MH medications in family practices relative to pediatric practices.https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319251347906 |
| spellingShingle | Laura M. Prichett Andrea S. Young Ellie Wu Robert H. Yolken Emily G. Severance Juleisa Badio Meilin Zheng Tina Kumra Patterns of Antidepressant and Antianxiety Medication Prescriptions in Pediatric Primary Care in the U.S Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| title | Patterns of Antidepressant and Antianxiety Medication Prescriptions in Pediatric Primary Care in the U.S |
| title_full | Patterns of Antidepressant and Antianxiety Medication Prescriptions in Pediatric Primary Care in the U.S |
| title_fullStr | Patterns of Antidepressant and Antianxiety Medication Prescriptions in Pediatric Primary Care in the U.S |
| title_full_unstemmed | Patterns of Antidepressant and Antianxiety Medication Prescriptions in Pediatric Primary Care in the U.S |
| title_short | Patterns of Antidepressant and Antianxiety Medication Prescriptions in Pediatric Primary Care in the U.S |
| title_sort | patterns of antidepressant and antianxiety medication prescriptions in pediatric primary care in the u s |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319251347906 |
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