Objectives: This study sought to describe the level of psychotropic medication use and its relationship to severe psychiatric disorders among school-aged children in foster care.
Methods: Home interviews with 302 foster parents and children aged 6 to 12 years and 266 follow-up clinical evaluations were conducted.
Results: Thirteen percent of the children had taken psychotropic medication in the previous year, and 52% of those whose clinical status merited a medication evaluation had not received medication in the previous year.
Conclusions: As the efficacy of psychotropic medication treatment for severe child psychiatric disorders becomes more established, research on the appropriateness of such care can begin.