Use of medication prescribed for emotional or behavioral difficulties among children aged 6-17 years in the United States, 2011-2012.

Abstract

Mental health problems are common chronic conditions in children (1-3). Medication is often prescribed to treat the symptoms of these conditions (4-7). Few population-based studies have examined the use of prescription medication to treat mental health problems among younger as well as older school-aged children (8-10). This report describes the sociodemographic characteristics of children aged 6-17 years prescribed medication or taking medication during the past 6 months for emotional or behavioral difficulties, and describes parental reports of the perceived benefit of this medication.