Sharp rise noted in meds for youths

Antipsychotic-drug treatment of children and teenagers seen by office-based physicians increased dramatically between 1993 and 2002, according to a national study.

In the United States, the number of office prescriptions of antipsychotic medications for young people increased from about 201,000 in 1993 to 1,224,000 in 2002, reports a team led by psychiatrist Mark Olfson of Columbia University.