More and more children in Germany are prescribed psychotropic drugs

New figures: Doctors are prescribing more and more psychotropic drugs to children
According to a new study, the number of children taking psychotropic drugs is increasing. However, researchers have not clarified why more and more adolescents take such medication. According to health experts, such drugs are unnecessary in many cases.

Incidence of mental abnormalities has not increased
An estimated 10 to 20 percent of children and adolescents around the world suffer from mental health impairment. In Germany, health experts have expressed their concern for psychologically conspicuous children in recent years. However, recent data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) study on Child and Adolescent Health (KiGGS) does not indicate that the incidence of mental illnesses increased between 2003-2006 and 2009-2012. Nevertheless, the number of adolescents taking psychotropic drugs has continued to increase in recent years. This emerges from a new study published in Deutsches Ärzteblatt.

More and more children in Germany are prescribed psychotropic drugs. However, the incidence of mental disorders in adolescents has not increased. (Image: psdesign1 / fotolia.com)

More children get psychotropic drugs
To come to their conclusions, the Cologne researchers analyzed - based on the nationwide data from statutory health insurance companies - the prescription and re-prescription rates as well as the prescribing physician groups for all psychotropic drugs in more than four million children and adolescents aged zero to 17 years. Herbal or homeopathic remedies were not included in the study. According to the scientists, about 20 percent of all adolescents in Germany have evidence of mental abnormalities. In 2012, about 27 out of 1,000 children were prescribed medications such as antidepressants or the ADHD drug Ritalin. In 2004 it was 20 out of 1,000. Especially Ritalin is always in the criticism. The Swiss UN consultant Pascal Rudin even said that the remedy is almost always superfluous.

Reason for the increase is not clarified
Already in 2014 results of a study were published, according to which more and more psychotropic drugs are prescribed for children. The data at that time came from insured persons of the Barmer GEK. Why the proportion of adolescents who have issued at least one psychotropic prescription has risen so much is not clear from the current study. According to the researchers, the reasons can be "diverse". "The analysis of the data shows that the increase in psychotropic prescriptions is not due to an increase in newly treated children and adolescents, but that more patients who have already received treatment, in the following years again received psychotropic therapy," it says in the Deutsches Ärzteblatt.

Help children with social and educational measures
Ingrid Schubert from the University of Cologne, who was involved in the study, said that one could not deduce from the data that the chances of recovery of the treated children and adolescents had worsened: "I would not go that far. You could also say that they may be treated more sensibly because they are more consistent, "the scientist said, according to a news agency dpa. According to the data, new prescriptions of methylphenidate (Ritalin) in ADHD in Germany have been slightly lower since 2008. However, the researcher finds it worrying that the number of antipsychotic treatments in children has increased. "These are sometimes very strong-acting drugs that are used in schizophrenia." The authors of the study are calling for additional guidelines for doctors in the case of antipsychotics. In addition, a critical awareness must be created. It is important to recognize early on psychological stress on children and adolescents and to help them with social or pedagogical measures before medication becomes necessary. (Ad)