More Than 6 Million U.S. Children Are Prescribed Psychiatric Drugs Annually, 6% Of Child Population

More than 6 million children and young adults in the United States are prescribed stimulants, antidepressants, or antipsychotics each year, representing about 6% of the population between age 3 and 24. However, there is no evidence that these drugs are being overprescribed, as prescribing rates of antidepressants and stimulants for young people are consistent with the distribution of corresponding cases of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression in the U.S. overall. By age group in 2008, the overall rate of prescriptions filled for these medication classes was about 0.8% for children age 3 to 5 years . . .