Twenty years of progress in paediatric psychopharmacology: accomplishments and unmet needs

Effects of mind-body therapies on depression among adolescents: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background

Depression poses significant threats to adolescents' health globally. Research has shown the potential of mind-body therapies to alleviate depression, but limited studies have directly compared the therapeutic effects of different types of mind-body therapies on adolescent depression and the optimal therapy remain unclear. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that met the inclusion criteria to explore the effectiveness of different types of mind-body therapies as interventions to improve depression among adolescents, and to identify the most effective interventions.

Methods

A comprehensive search of databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus up to January 2024 was conducted to assess the impact of mind-body therapies on depression among adolescents. The risk of bias of the included studies was evaluated using Cochrane Review Manager 5.4. STATA 18.0 was used for network meta-analysis. The node-splitting method was used to test the local inconsistency of the network meta-analysis. Funnel plots and the Egger's test were utilized to assess the potential impact of bias in this study.

Result

This network meta-analysis included 9 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 955 subjects. The results indicated that yoga, dance therapy and Tai Chi were more effective than other mind-body therapies in reducing symptoms of depression among adolescents. Specifically, according to the SUCRA ranking, yoga was rated to be the optimal intervention for adolescents with depression (SCURA: 82.2%), followed by dance therapy (SCURA: 77.5%) and Tai Chi (SCURA: 64.9%).

Conclusion

This study revealed that mind-body therapies have positive effects on improving depression among adolescents. Yoga may be the most effective intervention among the different types of mind-body therapies. However, due to the small sample size of patients included, the certainty of the results was limited to some extent. Therefore, further investigation is necessary to strengthen the evidence base when more relevant studies become available.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42024508774.

Psychotropic Medication Use in United States Pediatric Emergency Department Visits

OBJECTIVE AND BACKGROUND

Little is known about pediatric psychotropic medication use in the emergency department (ED), despite a rise in mental and behavioral health visits. This study describes psychotropic medication use in a nationally representative sample of pediatric mental and behavioral health ED visits over a 14-year period.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of pediatric (6-17 years) mental and behavioral health ED visits using the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2006-2019. We describe administration of psychotropic medications by medication type, diagnosis, and over time. Using multivariable survey-weighted logistic regression, we examine associations between medication administration and sociodemographics.

RESULTS

A psychotropic medication was administered in 11.4% of the estimated 11,792,860 pediatric mental and behavioral health ED visits in our sample. Benzodiazepines were administered most frequently (4.9% of visits). Visits with anxiety disorders had the highest frequency of psychotropic medication use (26.7%). Visits by Black non-Hispanic patients had a 60% decreased odds of medication administration compared to visits for White non-Hispanic patients. Visits with public compared to private insurance had a 3.5 times increased odds of psychotropic polypharmacy. The proportion of visits in which a psychotropic medication was administered did not change statistically over time.

CONCLUSIONS

A psychotropic medication was administered in 1 in 10 pediatric mental and behavioral health ED visits. Use differed by sociodemographics but did not change over time. As more youth seek mental and behavioral health care in the ED, we must better understand appropriate medication use to ensure quality and equitable care.

Prescriptions of Psychotropic Medications by Providers Treating Children of Military Service Members

INTRODUCTION

There are approximately 1.5 million U.S. military-dependent children. However, little is known about mental health referrals for these youths. This study sought to examine the type of mental health treatment referrals made by primary care providers for child military-dependent beneficiaries receiving care in the direct (within Military Treatment Facilities) and private care (civilian-fee-for service facilities) sectors of the Military Health System.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A between-subjects, cross-sectional study was performed on children aged 5-18 years old in fiscal years 2011-2015 and enrolled in TRICARE Prime. Study analyses examined specialty ("talk therapy") mental health care and psychotropic medication referrals from TRICARE Prime (the Defense Health Agency-managed health care program) providers for beneficiary children diagnosed with attention-, mood-, anxiety-, or behavior-related disorders in direct versus private sector care.

RESULTS

Of 1,533,630 children enrolled in TRICARE Prime (50.03% female), 8.6% (n = 131,393) were diagnosed with a psychological disorder during FY 2011-2015. Most were attention-related (5.2%, n = 79,770), followed by mood (1.7%, n = 25,314), anxiety (1.1%, n = 16,155), and conduct-related diagnoses (0.7%, n = 10,154). Adjusting for age, sex, and sponsor rank, children within direct care diagnosed with attention-related disorders were 1.7 times more likely to receive a prescription for psychotropic medication than those in private sector care, odds ratio (OR) = 1.72, 95% confidence interval (CI): [1.66, 1.77]. Children diagnosed with mood-related disorders in direct care were 2.1 times more likely to receive a prescription for psychotropic medication than those in private sector care, OR = 2.08, 95% CI: [1.96, 2.21]. Across disorders, children who received private sector care were more likely to have a referral specialty mental health ("talk therapy") follow-up (ps < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

For attention- and mood-related disorders, but not anxiety- or conduct-related disorders, direct care providers were more likely than private sector care providers to prescribe psychotropic medications. Inconsistencies of provider referrals within and outside of the Military Health System should be elucidated to determine the impact on outcomes.

Weight Gain During Antipsychotic Treatment in Children, Adolescents, and Adults: A Disproportionality Analysis in the Global Pharmacovigilance Database, Vigibase®

INTRODUCTION

While antipsychotic-induced weight gain has been widely described in adults, it has yet to be better characterized in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess antipsychotic-induced weight-gain reporting in children and adolescents as compared to adults, and according to the type of antipsychotic.

METHODS

The study is an observational, case-non-case study using individual case safety reports from the WHO global pharmacovigilance database VigiBase^® from 1 January 2000 to 2 June 2021. Disproportionality in antipsychotic-related weight-gain reporting in children and adolescents compared to adults was evaluated based on reporting odds ratios (RORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) through multivariate logistic regression modeling. Analysis was adjusted for sex, region of reporting, year of notification, reporter qualification, concomitant use of antidepressants, and use of more than one antipsychotic.

RESULTS

Among 282,224 antipsychotic-related spontaneous reports included in this analysis, we identified 16,881 (6.0%) weight-gain cases. Disproportionality in weight-gain reporting was found in children (adjusted ROR (aROR) 3.6; 95% CI 3.3-3.8) and in adolescents (aROR 2.3; 95% CI 2.2-2.4) compared to adults. Use of risperidone was associated with the highest increase in weight-gain reporting in children (aROR 4.9; 95% CI 3.9-6.1) and adolescents (aROR 3.6; 95% CI 3.1-4.1).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to adults, weight-gain reporting with antipsychotics was disproportionally higher in the pediatric population, especially in children under 12 years of age. Considering the impact of weight gain on global morbidity and mortality, physicians should closely monitor weight gain in young patients, especially children on risperidone.

Psychotropic drugs for the treatment of non-suicidal self-injury in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in children and adolescents is a frequent phenomenon. NSSI at any time is a significant predictor of future NSSI but also, and more importantly, for suicide attempts. Less evidence is available for the impact, or more specifically, the therapeutic effect of psychotropic drugs on the emergence of NSSI in this population. The phenomenon is clinically highly relevant since adolescent psychiatric inpatients are often affected by NSSI and most of them are treated with psychotropic drugs. While previous reviews on NSSI comprised suicidal self-injury (SSI), this review aims at elucidating the potential impact of psychotropic drugs on the emergence of specifically NSSI in children and adolescents. Systematic searches of articles indexed electronically in PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo were conducted (PROSPERO CRD42020209505). Studies included in the quantitative synthesis were evaluated using the SIGN level of evidence rating. Meta-analyses were performed using RevMan (Version 5.4). 2227 records were identified through database searches. Two additional records were identified manually. In total, seven studies were included in qualitative and four studies in quantitative analyses. In a meta-analysis, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were compared vs. control medication (placebo or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) and here, no statistically significant difference between the groups could be observed regarding the frequency of NSSI events (Risk Ratio (RR) = 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60-1.91, p = 0.82, I² = 12%). Evidence regarding the association of SSRI use and NSSI among children and adolescents is sparse and the impact of psychotropic drugs in general on NSSI rates in this population should be addressed in future clinical and observational studies.

Clinical excellence in child and adolescent psychiatry: examples from the published literature

There has been growing interest in the past century in improving understanding of the development and treatment of psychopathology of children, with increasing government funding of research in the past two decades. However, child and adolescent psychiatry excellence in clinical care has not been well-documented in the existing literature. This article provides examples of clinical excellence in paediatric mental health to supplement existing guidelines for the clinical practice of paediatric psychiatry. A review of the literature identified 204 unique peer-reviewed articles that were then further evaluated for applicability and relevance to the definition of clinical excellence as outlined by the Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence (MCACE). Cases were then identified and selected for each domain of clinical excellence as they apply to child and adolescent psychiatry and to provide a model for patient care.KEYPOINTSClinical excellence in child and adolescent psychiatry has not previously been defined or extensively documented.The Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence (MCACE) has developed a systematic method to measuring excellence in clinical care and created a definition of clinical excellence.The MCACE defined the domains of clinical excellence as communication and interpersonal skills, professionalism and humanism, diagnostic acumen, skilful negotiation of the healthcare system, knowledge, scholarly approach to clinical practice, exhibiting a passion for patient care and modelling clinical excellence, and collaborating with investigators to advance science and discovery.There are numerous case examples in the literature that represent mastery in paediatric psychiatry in these areas.Clinicians in paediatric mental health will likely benefit from future research on evidence-based approaches to training and education in these domains of clinical excellence.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of adolescent depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of aggregated and individual-patient data from uncontrolled studies

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive treatment for adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD). Existing evidence on the efficacy of TMS in adolescent MDD awaits quantitative synthesis. A systematic literature search was conducted, and data from eligible studies were synthesized using random-effects models. Treatment-covariate interactions were examined in exploratory analyses of individual-patient data (IPD). Systematic search of the literature yielded 1264 hits, of which 10 individual studies (2 randomized trials) were included for quantitative synthesis of mainly uncontrolled studies. Individual patient data (IPD) were available from five trials (all uncontrolled studies). Quantitative synthesis of aggregated data revealed a statistically significant negative overall standardized mean change (pooled SMCC = 2.04, 95% CI [1.46; 2.61], SE = 0.29, p < .001), as well as a significant overall treatment response rate (Transformed Proportion = 41.30%, 95% CI [31.03; 51.57], SE = 0.05; p < 0.001), considering data from baseline to post-treatment. Exploratory IPD analyses suggests TMS might be more effective in younger individuals and individuals with more severe depression, and efficacy might be enhanced with certain treatment modality settings, including higher number of TMS sessions, longer treatment durations, and unilateral and not bilateral stimulation. Existing studies exhibit methodological shortcomings, including small-study effects and lack of control group, blinding, and randomization-compromising the credibility of the present results. To date, two randomized controlled trials on TMS in adolescent depression have been published, and the only large-scale randomized trial suggests TMS is not more effective than sham stimulation. Future large-scale, randomized, and sham-controlled trials are warranted. Future trials should ensure appropriate selection of patients for TMS treatment and guide precision medicine approaches for stimulation protocols.

Comparative efficacy and acceptability of antidepressants, psychotherapies, and their combination for acute treatment of children and adolescents with depressive disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Depressive disorders are common in children and adolescents. Antidepressants, psychotherapies, and their combination are often used in routine clinical practice; however, available evidence on the comparative efficacy and safety of these interventions is inconclusive. Therefore, we sought to compare and rank all available treatment interventions for the acute treatment of depressive disorders in children and adolescents.

METHODS

We did a systematic review and network meta-analysis. We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ProQuest, CINAHL, LiLACS, international trial registries, and the websites of regulatory agencies for published and unpublished randomised controlled trials from database inception until Jan 1, 2019. We included placebo-controlled and head-to-head trials of 16 antidepressants, seven psychotherapies, and five combinations of antidepressant and psychotherapy that are used for the acute treatment of children and adolescents (≤18 years old and of both sexes) with depressive disorder diagnosed according to standard operationalised criteria. Trials recruiting participants with treatment-resistant depression, bipolar disorder, psychotic depression, treatment duration of less than 4 weeks, or an overall sample size of fewer than ten patients were excluded. We extracted data following a predefined hierarchy of outcome measures, and assessed risk of bias and certainty of evidence using validated methods. Primary outcomes were efficacy (change in depressive symptoms) and acceptability (treatment discontinuation due to any cause). We estimated summary standardised mean differences (SMDs) or odds ratios (ORs) with credible intervals (CrIs) using network meta-analysis with random effects. This study was registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42015020841.

FINDINGS

From 20 366 publications, we included 71 trials (9510 participants). Depressive disorders in most studies were moderate to severe. In terms of efficacy, fluoxetine plus cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was more effective than CBT alone (-0·78, 95% CrI -1·55 to -0·01) and psychodynamic therapy (-1·14, -2·20 to -0·08), but not more effective than fluoxetine alone (-0·22, -0·86 to 0·42). No pharmacotherapy alone was more effective than psychotherapy alone. Only fluoxetine plus CBT and fluoxetine were significantly more effective than pill placebo or psychological controls (SMDs ranged from -1·73 to -0·51); and only interpersonal therapy was more effective than all psychological controls (-1·37 to -0·66). Nortriptyline (SMDs ranged from 1·04 to 2·22) and waiting list (SMDs ranged from 0·67 to 2·08) were less effective than most active interventions. In terms of acceptability, nefazodone and fluoxetine were associated with fewer dropouts than sertraline, imipramine, and desipramine (ORs ranged from 0·17 to 0·50); imipramine was associated with more dropouts than pill placebo, desvenlafaxine, fluoxetine plus CBT, and vilazodone (2·51 to 5·06). Most of the results were rated as "low" to "very low" in terms of confidence of evidence according to Confidence In Network Meta-Analysis.

INTERPRETATION

Despite the scarcity of high-quality evidence, fluoxetine (alone or in combination with CBT) seems to be the best choice for the acute treatment of moderate-to-severe depressive disorder in children and adolescents. However, the effects of these interventions might vary between individuals, so patients, carers, and clinicians should carefully balance the risk-benefit profile of efficacy, acceptability, and suicide risk of all active interventions in young patients with depression on a case-by-case basis.

FUNDING

National Key Research and Development Program of China.

Antidepressants in Children and Adolescents: Meta-Review of Efficacy, Tolerability and Suicidality in Acute Treatment

Antidepressants are prescribed for the treatment of a number of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents, however there is still controversy about whether they should be used in this population. This meta-review aimed to assess the effects of antidepressants for the acute treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders (ADs), autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), enuresis, major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents. Efficacy was measured as response to treatment (either as mean overall change in symptoms or as a dichotomous outcome) and tolerability was measured as the proportion of patients discontinuing treatment due to adverse events. Suicidality was measured as suicidal ideation, behavior (including suicide attempts) and completed suicide. PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science were systematically searched (until 31 October 2019) for existing systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses of double-blind randomized controlled trials. The quality of the included reviews was appraised using AMSTAR-2. Our meta-review included nine systematic reviews/meta-analyses (2 on ADHD; 1 on AD; 2 on ASD; 1 on enuresis; 1 on MDD, 1 on OCD and 1 on PTSD). In terms of efficacy this review found that, compared to placebo: fluoxetine was more efficacious in the treatment of MDD, fluvoxamine and paroxetine were better in the treatment of AD; fluoxetine and sertraline were more efficacious in the treatment of OCD; bupropion and desipramine improved clinician and teacher-rated ADHD symptoms; clomipramine and tianeptine were superior on some of the core symptoms of ASD; and no antidepressant was more efficacious for PTSD and enuresis. With regard to tolerability: imipramine, venlafaxine, and duloxetine were less well tolerated in MDD; no differences were found for any of the antidepressants in the treatment of anxiety disorders (ADs), ADHD, and PTSD; tianeptine and citalopram, but not clomipramine, were less well tolerated in children and adolescents with ASD. For suicidal behavior/ideation, venlafaxine (in MDD) and paroxetine (in AD) were associated with a significantly increased risk; by contrast, sertraline (in AD) was associated with a reduced risk. The majority of included systematic reviews/meta-analyses were rated as being of high or moderate in quality by the AMSTAR-2 critical appraisal tool (one and five, respectively). One included study was of low quality and two were of critically low quality. Compared to placebo, selected antidepressants can be efficacious in the acute treatment of some common psychiatric disorders, although statistically significant differences do not always translate into clinically significant results. Little information was available about tolerability of antidepressants in RCTs of OCD and in the treatment of ADHD, ASD, MDD, and PTSD. There is a paucity of data on suicidal ideation/behavior, but paroxetine may increase the risk of suicidality in the treatment of AD and venlafaxine for MDD. Findings from this review must be considered in light of potential limitations, such as the lack of comparative information about many antidepressants, the short-term outcomes and the quality of the available evidence.

Valproate for acute mania

BACKGROUND

Bipolar disorder is a severe and common mental disorder where patients experience recurrent symptoms of elevated or irritable mood, depression, or a combination of both. Treatment is usually with psychiatric medication, including mood stabilisers, antidepressants and antipsychotics. Valproate is an effective maintenance treatment for bipolar disorder. However, evidence assessing the efficacy of valproate in the treatment of acute mania is less robust, especially when comparing it to some of the newer antipsychotic agents. This review is an update of a previous Cochrane Review (last published 2003) on the role of valproate in acute mania.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy and tolerability of valproate for acute manic episodes in bipolar disorder compared to placebo, alternative pharmacological treatments, or a combination pharmacological treatments, as measured by the treatment of symptoms on specific rating scales for individual episodes in paediatric, adolescent and adult populations.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched Ovid MEDLINE (1950- ), Embase (1974- ), PsycINFO (1967- ) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) to 28 September 2018. We had also conducted an earlier search of these databases in the Cochrane Common Mental Disorders Controlled Trials Register (CCMDCTR) (all years to 6 June 2016). We also searched the World Health Organization (WHO) trials portal (ICTRP) and clinicaltrials.gov in September 2018, to identify any additional unpublished or ongoing studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Single- and double-blind, randomised controlled trials comparing valproate with placebo, alternative antimanic treatments, or a combination of pharmacological treatments. We also considered studies where valproate was used as an adjunctive treatment in combination with another agent separately from studies where it was used in monotherapy. We included male and female patients of all ages and ethnicity with bipolar disorder.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently performed data extraction and methodological quality assessment. For analysis, we used the odds ratio (OR) for binary efficacy outcomes and the mean difference (MD) or standardised mean difference (SMD) for continuously distributed outcomes.

MAIN RESULTS

Twenty-five trials (3252 participants) compared valproate with either placebo or alternative antimanic treatments to alleviate the symptoms of acute mania. For efficacy, our primary outcome was response rate. For tolerability, our primary outcome was the number of participants with any adverse effect. This meta-analysis included studies focusing on children, adolescents, as well as adults with a range of severity of manic symptoms. The majority of studies focused on adult men and women (aged 18 and above), were conducted in inpatient settings and completed in the US. Five studies in this review focused on children and adolescents (aged 18 and under) so that the review covers an age range from 3 - 82 years. Seven studies contained outpatient participants in some form. Nine studies included data that has been collected outside the US, namely Iran (4 studies), India (3 studies), China (1 study), or across several international countries (1 study).In adults, high-quality evidence found that valproate induces a slightly higher response compared to placebo (45% vs 29%, OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.32 to 3.20; 4 studies, 869 participants). Moderate-quality evidence found there was probably little or no difference in response rates between valproate and lithium (56% vs 62%, OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.48 to 1.35; 3 studies, 356 participants). In adults, low-quality evidence found there may be little or no difference in response rate between valproate and olanzapine (38% vs 44%, OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.48 to 1.25; 2 studies, 667 participants).In the children and adolescent population, the evidence regarding any difference in response rates between valproate and placebo was uncertain (23% vs 22%, OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.51 to 2.38; 1 study, 151 participants, very low-quality evidence). Low-quality evidence found that the response rate of participants receiving valproate may be lower compared to risperidone (23% vs 66%, OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.29; 1 study, 197 participants). The evidence regarding any difference in response rates between valproate and lithium was uncertain (23% vs 34%, OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.31 to 1.07; 1 study, 197 participants, very low-quality evidence).In terms of tolerability in adults, moderate-quality evidence found that there are probably more participants receiving valproate who experienced any adverse events compared to placebo (83% vs 75%, OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.36; 3 studies, 745 participants). Low-quality evidence found there may be little or no difference in tolerability between valproate and lithium (78% vs 86%, OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.25 to 1.50; 2 studies, 164 participants). We did not obtain primary tolerability outcome data on the olanzapine comparison.Within the children and adolescent population, the evidence regarding any difference between valproate or placebo was uncertain (67% vs 60%, OR 1.39, 95% CI 0.71 to 2.71; 1 study, 150 participants, very low-quality evidence). We did not obtain primary tolerability outcome data on the lithium or risperidone comparisons.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is evidence that valproate is an efficacious treatment for acute mania in adults when compared to placebo. By contrast, there is no evidence of a difference in efficacy between valproate and placebo for children and adolescents. Valproate may be less efficacious than olanzapine in adults, and may also be inferior to risperidone as a monotherapy treatment for paediatric mania. Generally, there is uncertain evidence regarding whether valproate causes more or less side effects than the other main antimanic therapies. However, evidence suggests that valproate causes less weight gain and sedation than olanzapine.