Conflicting Data on Psychotropic Use by Children: Two Pieces to the Same Puzzle

Are children underusing or overusing psychotropic medications in this country? This is the question raised by an article¹ in this month's issue. Contrary to a number of population-based analyses^2-8 that have described high rates of use, Merikangas et al¹ conclude that many American children with unrecognized psychiatric needs never obtain services and that fewer receive medications even when their concerns are recognized.