Trends, correlates, and disease patterns of antipsychotic use among children and adolescents in Taiwan

Trends and off-label utilization of antipsychotics in children and adolescents from 2016 to 2021 in China: a real-world study

BACKGROUND

Global antipsychotic usage, including off-label prescriptions, has increased in recent decades. However, trends in China, particularly for children and adolescents, remain unclear. This study explored these trends from 2016 to 2021 and identified factors associated with off-label prescriptions.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, we analyzed on-label and off-label prescriptions based on drug information approved by the China National Medical Products Administration. To identify factors associated with off-label prescriptions, we conducted multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Our study included 48,258 antipsychotic prescriptions, 52.4% (25,295) of which were prescriptions for males. Of these, 61.7% (29,813) were off-label. Over time, the number of antipsychotics and the percentage of off-label prescriptions for children and adolescents overall increased from 2016 to 2021. The use of atypical antipsychotics increased, whereas that of typical antipsychotics decreased. For off-label usage, all of the factors in our study were associated with off-label usage, including age, sex, year, region, department, reimbursement, antipsychotic type, drug expense, number of polypharmacy and diagnoses. Additionally, tiapride (15.8%) and aripiprazole (18.6%) were the most common typical and atypical antipsychotics, respectively. For pediatric diseases, common diagnoses included mood or affective disorders (31.7%) and behavioral and emotional disorders, with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence (29.1%). Furthermore, a depressive state was the most common diagnosis for which antipsychotic polypharmacy was used for treatment.

CONCLUSION

In this retrospective study, off-label antipsychotic prescriptions were common, with trends generally increasing among children and adolescents from 2016 to 2021. However, there is a lack of evidence supporting off-label usage, thus emphasizing the need for studies on the efficacy and safety of these treatments.

Cardiovascular and metabolic risk of antipsychotics in children and young adults: a multinational self-controlled case series study

AIMS

The risk of antipsychotic-associated cardiovascular and metabolic events may differ among countries, and limited real-world evidence has been available comparing the corresponding risks among children and young adults. We, therefore, evaluated the risks of cardiovascular and metabolic events in children and young adults receiving antipsychotics.

METHODS

We conducted a multinational self-controlled case series (SCCS) study and included patients aged 6-30 years old who had both exposure to antipsychotics and study outcomes from four nationwide databases of Taiwan (2004-2012), Korea (2010-2016), Hong Kong (2001-2014) and the UK (1997-2016) that covers a total of approximately 100 million individuals. We investigated three antipsychotics exposure windows (i.e., 90 days pre-exposure, 1-30 days, 30-90 days and 90 + days of exposure). The outcomes were cardiovascular events (stroke, ischaemic heart disease and acute myocardial infarction), or metabolic events (hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and dyslipidaemia).

RESULTS

We included a total of 48 515 individuals in the SCCS analysis. We found an increased risk of metabolic events only in the risk window with more than 90-day exposure, with a pooled IRR of 1.29 (95% CI 1.20-1.38). The pooled IRR was 0.98 (0.90-1.06) for 1-30 days and 0.88 (0.76-1.02) for 31-90 days. We found no association in any exposure window for cardiovascular events. The pooled IRR was 1.86 (0.74-4.64) for 1-30 days, 1.35 (0.74-2.47) for 31-90 days and 1.29 (0.98-1.70) for 90 + days.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term exposure to antipsychotics was associated with an increased risk of metabolic events but did not trigger cardiovascular events in children and young adults.

Comparative cardiometabolic risk of antipsychotics in children, adolescents and young adults

Understanding different cardiometabolic safety profiles of antipsychotics helps avoid unintended outcomes among young patients. We conducted a population-based study to compare cardiometabolic risk among different antipsychotics in children, adolescents and young adults. From Taiwan's National Health Insurance Database, 2001-2013, we identified two patient cohorts aged 5-18 (children and adolescents) and 19-30 (young adults), diagnosed with psychiatric disorders and newly receiving antipsychotics, including haloperidol and sulpiride, and second generation antipsychotics (SGA, including olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, amisulpride, aripiprazole, paliperidone, and ziprasidone). Risperidone users were considered the reference group. We analyzed electronic medical records from seven hospitals in Taiwan and confirmed findings with validation analyses of identical design. Primary outcomes were composite cardiometabolic events, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and major adverse cardiovascular events. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models compared cardiometabolic risk among antipsychotics. Among 29,030 patients aged 5-18 and 50,359 patients aged 19-30 years, we found 1200 cardiometabolic event cases during the total follow-up time of 37,420 person-years with an incidence of 32.1 per 1000 person-years. Compared to risperidone, olanzapine was associated with a significantly higher risk of cardiometabolic events in young adults (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.57; 95% CIs 1.13-2.18) but not in children and adolescents (1.85; 0.79-4.32). Specifically, we found young adult patients receiving haloperidol (1.52; 1.06-2.20) or olanzapine (1.75; 1.18-2.61) had higher risk of hypertension compared with risperidone users. Results from validation analyses concurred with main analyses. Antipsychotics' various risk profiles for cardiometabolic events merit consideration when selecting appropriate regimes. Due to cardiometabolic risk, we suggest clinicians may consider to select alternative antipsychotics to olanzapine in children, adolescents and young adults.

Dental utilization and expenditures by children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: A population-based cohort study

Objectives:

It is understood that children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have difficulty in receiving dental treatment. This study explores the differences in dental utilization and expenditure between two groups: children and adolescents with and without ASD. Different conditions that affect these results will be examined, including area of residence, category of treatment, and preferences concerning type of dental institution in Taiwan.

Materials and Methods:

The health service research database of the National Health Research Institutes, which features population-based, randomly selected samples collected from 2001 to 2010, was utilized in this study. In particular, we recruited samples from 2005 in accordance with the codes of the International Classification of Diseases, 9^th revision, Clinical Modification from 299.0 to 299.9. The population-based cohort study measured mean expenditures and mean numbers of medical visits with regard to different dental institution classifications, areas of residence, and categories of dental treatment for children (under 18 years old) with and without ASD.

Results:

The mean number of annual visits was 6.58 and 5.70 for children and adolescents with and without ASD, respectively, with mean annual visit expenditures of NT$2401.20 and NT$1817.99, respectively. A higher percentage of children (91.32%) and adolescents (72.66%) with ASD had experienced dental treatment than those without ASD. Children (93.23%) and adolescents (90.83%) without ASD visited dental clinics more often than those with ASD. The percentage of dental visits to academic medical centers in Eastern Taiwan was significantly lower for the ASD group than visits to other types of dental institutions. The use of restorative treatment was significantly higher among all samples, with periodontology having the lowest percentage.

Conclusions:

Children and adolescents with ASD had greater dental utilization, expenditures, and preferences for high-level dental institutions. The discrepancies in dental utilization indicate differences in the distribution of medical resources in different dental institution levels and residence areas in Taiwan.

Dosage of methylphenidate and traumatic brain injury in ADHD: a population-based study in Taiwan

Preventive effect of stimulants on the risk of brain injuries had been reported. The aim of this study is to determine the extent to which methylphenidate (MPH) prescription moderates the risk of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Individuals with a recent diagnosis of ADHD between January 1997 and December 2013 (n = 163,618) were identified from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. A total of 124,438 adolescents and children with ADHD and without prior TBI diagnoses were included and evaluated for subsequent TBI. Methylphenidate prescription duration was subgrouped by the annual average cumulative defined daily dose (DDD): 0, >0 to ≤28, > 28 to ≤84, and >84. We identified 11,463 diagnoses of TBI among 124,438 adolescents and children with ADHD. A Cox regression model was used to investigate whether MPH prescription influenced the risk for TBI after adjusting for sex, age, level of urbanization, seizure, autism and sedative-anxiolytics use. A reduced TBI incidence was observed with MPH prescription DDDs > 84. The protective effect of MPH against TBI persisted after adjusting for confounding factors [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.49; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.47-0.51]. There was also statistically significant difference in risk for TBI in subjects receiving > 0 to ≤28 or >28 to ≤84 DDDs of MPH treatment (HR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.83-0.92; HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.72-0.80, respectively) when compared with subjects not receiving treatment with MPH. Treatment with MPH for greater than 84 DDDs reduced the risk for TBI among children with ADHD.

Influence of socioeconomic status on antipsychotic prescriptions among youth in France

BACKGROUND

Recent studies analysing the trends in antipsychotic (AP) prescriptions for children and adolescents have raised concerns regarding the influence of socioeconomic status. Previous findings have also shown variable prescription rates for first-generation (FG) and second-generation (SG) APs.

METHOD

Our objectives were to assess the proportion of patients from low-income families receiving APs and the most commonly prescribed APs in France. We conducted a descriptive analysis of AP drugs dispensed during a 1-year period (July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014) in a northwestern region of France with 941,857 subjects less than 18 years old. All data were extracted from an exhaustive, individual and anonymous social security database. We obtained each subject's socioeconomic status (by identifying their affiliation with a specific social security program) and also collected sociodemographic data, drug type, prescribing and dispensing dates and amount, and prescriber type (e.g., hospital physician, general practitioner, psychiatrist, paediatrician).

RESULTS

There were two main novel findings. First, we found that the proportion of patients with AP prescriptions was nearly ten times higher in low-income families than in the general population: 35.9% of CMU-C patients compared to 3.7% in all of Pays de la Loire (X ² = 7875.1, p < 0.001). Additionally, we found a higher rate of FGAP than SGAP prescriptions (65% vs. 57%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests two types of AP misuse that could provide interesting targets for public healthcare interventions. First, our results strongly suggest an over-representation of patients from low-income families. Low-income families primarily resided in areas with low physician density and appeared to receive drugs to treat their conditions more frequently than other individuals. This increased prescription rate is a public health issue, potentially requiring political action. Second, the use of FGAPs did not adhere to the latest recommendations for drug use in this population, and this discrepancy should be addressed with informational campaigns targeted to medical practitioners.

Trends, correlates, and disease patterns of antipsychotic use among elderly persons in Taiwan

INTRODUCTION

We used the population-based database to investigate the trends, correlates, and disease patterns of antipsychotic use among elderly people in Taiwan.

METHODS

The National Health Research Institutes provided a database of 1,000,000 random subjects for health service studies. We analyzed a sample of subjects over the age of 65 years from 1997 to 2005. The trends in and factors associated with antipsychotic use were detected. We also examined the proportions of antipsychotics used for psychiatric and medical disorders.

RESULTS

The 1-year prevalence of antipsychotic use in elderly persons increased from 9.8% in 1997 to 12.8% in 2005. The prevalence of first-generation antipsychotic (FGA) use increased from 9.8% to 11.6%, and the prevalence of second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) use increased greatly from 0.01% to 2.02%. Higher prevalence of both FGAs and SGAs were associated with age and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index scores. Psychiatric disorders were commonly found in SGA users (80.8%), whereas only 19.3% of the FGA users had psychiatric disorders. Among the major psychiatric disorders, greater proportions of antipsychotic use were for senile and presenile organic psychotic conditions, other organic psychotic conditions, and affective psychoses. FGAs were much more commonly prescribed for nonpsychiatric disorders, including diseases of symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions, the digestive system, and the respiratory system.

DISCUSSION

The prevalence of antipsychotic use, particularly the use of SGAs, increased greatly from 1997 to 2005 among elderly persons in Taiwan. SGAs were most used by subjects with psychiatric disorders, and FGAs were most used by those with nonpsychiatric disorders.

Antipsychotic Use Trends in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Intellectual Disability: A Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Although irritability and aggression are relevant treatment targets in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and intellectual disability (ID) that may prompt antipsychotic use, antipsychotic prescribing patterns in such youth have not been systematically reviewed.

METHOD

We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE/PsycInfo until March 2015 for studies reporting data on the frequency of youth diagnosed with ASDs and/or ID among antipsychotic-treated youth, as well as antipsychotic use in youth with ASD/ID, conducting a meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis of potential moderators, including publication year, study time point, country, setting, sample size, age, sex, and race/ethnicity.

RESULTS

A total of 39 studies were meta-analyzed (n = 365,449, age = 11.4 ± 6.2 years, males = 70.0% ± 10.0%). Among 27 studies (n = 273,139, age = 11.9 ± 8.0 years, males = 67.0% ± 12.9%) reporting on antipsychotic-treated youth, 9.5% (95% CI = 7.8%-11.5%) were diagnosed with ASD/ID. In 20 studies (n = 209,756) reporting data separately for ASD, 7.9% (95% CI = 6.2%-9.9%) had an ASD diagnosis. In 5 longitudinal studies, the proportion of antipsychotic-treated youth with ASD did not change significantly from 1996 to 2011 (6.7% to 5.8%, odds ratio = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.8-1.0, p =.17). However, later study time point moderated greater ASD/ID proportions (β = 0.12, p < .00001). In 13 studies (n = 96,688, age = 9.8 ± 1.2 years, males = 78.6% ± 2.0%) reporting on antipsychotic use in ASD samples, 17.5% (95% CI = 13.7%-22.1%) received antipsychotics. Again, later study time point moderated higher antipsychotic use among patients with ASD (β = 0.10, p = .004).

CONCLUSION

Almost 1 in 10 antipsychotic-treated youth were diagnosed with ASD and/or ID, and 1 in 6 youth with ASD received antipsychotics. Both proportions increased in later years; however, clinical reasons and outcomes of antipsychotic use in ASD/ID require further study.

Antipsychotic prescribing in youths: a French community-based study from 2006 to 2013

The objectives were to explore in a community-based sample of persons aged 0-25 years: (1) trends in antipsychotic prescribing, (2) characteristics of the zone of residence associated with antipsychotic prescribing rates, and (3) the pattern of antipsychotic prescribing. The study was performed using reimbursement data from the French Insurance Healthcare system. Prescribing trends were investigated over the period 2006-2013. An ecological design was used to assess the impact of the socio-economical and health resource characteristics of the zone of residence (n = 96 administrative subdivisions of French territory) on antipsychotic prescribing rates. The pattern of antipsychotic prescribing was explored in a cohort of youths newly treated with antipsychotics. Over the period 2006-2013, antipsychotic dispensing rates were stable in persons aged 0-25 years (4.8 per 1,000 in 2006 and 4.9 per 1,000 in 2013). First-generation antipsychotic dispensing rates decreased from 3.1 to 2.6 per 1,000 (OR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.98), while second-generation antipsychotic dispensing rates increased from 2.7 to 3.4 per 1,000 (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05). Antipsychotic prescribing rates were impacted by health resource characteristics of the zone of residence in children aged 10 years and under and by socio-economical characteristics in those aged 16-20 years. In all the age groups, antipsychotics were principally started by hospital practitioners (47%) and general practitioners (34%). The rates of psychostimulants concomitantly prescribed with antipsychotics were lower than 5%. In conclusion, rates of youths exposed to second-generation antipsychotics are still rising. The impact of environmental characteristics on antipsychotics prescribing and appropriateness of these prescriptions in youths should be further investigated.

Dilemma of prescribing aripiprazole under the Taiwan health insurance program: a descriptive study

OBJECTIVES

Refractory major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious problem leading to a heavy economic burden. Antipsychotic augmentation treatment with aripiprazole and quetiapine is approved for MDD patients and can achieve a high remission rate. This study aimed to examine how psychiatrists in Taiwan choose medications and how that choice is influenced by health insurance payments and administrative policy.

DESIGN

Descriptive study.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Eight questions about the choice of treatment strategy and atypical antipsychotics, and the reason to choose aripiprazole.

INTERVENTION

We designed an augmentation strategy questionnaire for psychiatrists whose patients had a poor response to antidepressants, and handed it out during the annual meeting of the Taiwanese Society of Psychiatry in October 2012. It included eight questions addressing the choice of treatment strategy and atypical antipsychotics, and the reason whether or not to choose aripiprazole as the augmentation antipsychotic.

RESULTS

Choosing antipsychotic augmentation therapy or switching to other antidepressant strategies for MDD patients with an inadequate response to antidepressants was common with a similar probability (76.1% vs 76.4%). The most frequently used antipsychotics were aripiprazole and quetiapine, however a substantial number of psychiatrists chose olanzapine, risperidone, and sulpiride. The major reason for not choosing aripiprazole was cost (52.1%), followed by insurance official policy audit and deletion in the claims review system (30.1%).

CONCLUSION

The prescribing behavior of Taiwanese psychiatrists for augmentation antipsy-chotics is affected by health insurance policy.