Anti-Psychotic Prescriptions for Children in England Have Nearly Doubled in a Decade

File photo of a GP writing a prescription in the United Kingdom, on Sept. 10, 2014. PA Media

The number of children and young people prescribed anti-psychotic drugs in England almost doubled between 2000 and 2019, according to new research.

A study by the University of Manchester’s Centre for Women’s Mental Health published in The Lancet Psychiatry looked at the records of 7.2 million children and adolescents, aged 3 to 18, registered at selected English general practices over the period 2000 to 2019.

Researchers found that although the overall percentage who were prescribed anti-psychotics was low, it had increased from 0.06 percent in 2000 to 0.11 percent in 2019.

One psychologist told The Epoch Times that the increase was “extremely concerning.”

The study found that boys and older children, aged 15 to 18, were more likely to be prescribed anti-psychotics than girls and younger children.

The drugs are often used to treat mental illness, such as schizophrenia, in adults. Such medication can have substantial side effects such as sexual dysfunction, infertility, and weight gain leading to diabetes as well as withdrawal effects.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has approved the use of some anti-psychotics for those under 18 with psychosis or with severely aggressive behaviour from a disorder.

The study suggested they are prescribed for an increasingly broad range of reasons, the most common being autism.

A young girl paints a picture of herself on the school window as children of key workers take part in school activities at Oldfield Brow Primary School in Altrincham, England, on April 8, 2020. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Scientists argued that the increasing use of anti-psychotics is a cause for concern, given that their safety in children has not been fully established.

Matthias Pierce, senior research fellow at the University of Manchester’s Centre for Women’s Mental Health, jointly led the study.

He said: “This study demonstrates a concerning trend in anti-psychotic prescribing in children and adolescents.

“We do not think the changes in prescribing necessarily relate to changes in clinical need; rather, it may be more likely to reflect changes in prescribing practice by clinicians.”

“However, this study will help clinicians to evaluate the prescribing of anti-psychotics to children more fully and will encourage them to consider better access to alternatives.”

‘What Drug Can Fix This?’

Clinical psychologist Damian Wilde told The Epoch Times by email that the news is “extremely concerning.”

“Use of psychotropic medication falls under the medical model I am critical of, and use of certain drugs tends to be linked to a psychiatric diagnosis, which I do not use,” he said.

Wilde said the problem is that some health care professionals’ “go-to” is medication.

“So rather than understand the person, their feelings, and what they’re going through, their training and knowledge just think, ‘what drug can fix this?’”

Wilde has extensive experience with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and in clinical and therapeutic experience in the NHS and privately.

He said that often what is not considered with children are the systemic factors, such as parental situation and school.

“All of this tends to get overridden by a diagnosis and medication because the attribution is, they’re psychotic (they have an illness), give them this drug,” he said.

Undated photo, posed by a model, of a child sitting on some stairs in an unspecified location in England. NSPCC/PA

He said his initial thoughts as a psychologist are: “How is the child feeling? What is going on in their life? What are their relationships like?”

“Everything’s relational,” said Wilde.

“The rise in prescriptions, linked in with what I said above, is likely down to inadequate training and society’s desperation for a quick fix and to quieten people down; a calmer and more obedient society equals more control and money for the elite,” he added.

He said that the worry with anti-psychotic medication is that research has shown that long-term usage of such drugs can cause brain atrophy, or shrinkage of the brain.

“And it’s not just with anti-psychotics, there is worry about dependency with benzodiazepines, which cause horrific withdrawal effects, sometimes for years afterward. And antidepressant medications, according to research, are no better than placebo. At the sharp end of things, you have ECT, which can cause brain damage,” he added.

Wilde said that the pressure on systems may also be a factor in the increase.

“CAMHS teams across the country are stretched and have little capacity, with long wait-lists, so if there is no access to therapeutic support then some practitioners think they have no choice but to prescribe,” he said.

“There needs to be more CAMHS provision, with a specific need for psychotherapy and family therapy, plus more social and community support/interventions. The community support usually comes from third-sector organisations, but with money-saving exercises occurring, they are often cut; this is a shame because they are vital services,” said Wilde.

Valuable Role

Senior author of the study, professor Kathryn Abel from the University of Manchester, said: “Anti-psychotic medications continue to have a valuable role in the treatment of serious mental illness.

“These findings represent a descriptive account of anti-psychotic prescribing to children and adolescents in the UK today and provide a window onto current practice.

“Broadening use of anti-psychotics in developing young people begs questions about their safety over time and demands more research on this topic,” she added.

PA Media contributed to this report.