Antipsychotic medication prescription patterns in adults with developmental disabilities who have experienced psychiatric crisis.

Yona Lunsky, Jonny Elserafi

Dual Diagnosis Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, West Toronto, ON, Canada. Yona_Lunsky@camh.net

Research in developmental disabilities 2012 Jan-Feb

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Antipsychotic medication rates are high in adults with developmental disability. This study considered rates of antipsychotic use in 743 adults with developmental disability who had experienced a psychiatric crisis. Nearly half (49%) of these adults were prescribed antipsychotics. Polypharmacy was common with 22% of those prescribed antipsychotics taking 2 or more antipsychotics at once. Predictors of multiple antipsychotic use included gender, residence, psychiatric diagnosis and previous hospitalizations. Implications of medication prescriptions to this vulnerable population are discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citation

Yona Lunsky, Jonny Elserafi. Antipsychotic medication prescription patterns in adults with developmental disabilities who have experienced psychiatric crisis. Research in developmental disabilities. 2012 Jan-Feb;33(1):32-8