Is Pandemic Associated With Use Of Psychotropic Drugs In Children

Use of the psychotropic drug in children might be linked with the before and during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

Use of the psychotropic drug in children might be linked with the before and during the COVID-19 pandemic period in Canada, as published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

Although the pandemic has impacted children with less severe physical symptoms than adults, the mental health effects appear to be profound. However, whether the psychotropics use in children is associated with COVID-19 remained unclear.

Addiction to New Psychotropic Drugs on the Rise
Mephedrone, commonly called 'Meow-Meow' has intruded in the life of many teens and the addiction has affected them severely.

‘Use of the psychotropic drug in children is found to have an almost 2-fold decline in the incidence after the COVID-19 pandemic period, as compared to the pre-pandemic period. ’

The study analyzed the change in the use of psychotropic drugs like antidepressants and stimulants from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2020, among children and adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic with a hypothesis that psychotropic drug use would be associated with the pandemic.

It was found that there was an almost two-fold decline in incident stimulant and anxiolytic/sedative-hypnotic use among children in the quarter immediately after public health closures in 2020 when compared with the same quarter in previous years.

Interestingly, there was a trending increase in antidepressant use above pre-pandemic rates in the last quarter of 2020.

Psychotropic Drug Prescriptions Increase During Pandemic
New population-based study of all nursing home residents in Ontario, Canada, found increased prescribing of psychotropic drugs at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This may reflect that there was an increase in new-onset depression or anxiety in this population during this period with non-significant trends in prevalence rates. However, further studies are required to understand the long-term changes in the health of children.

Source-Medindia

Delhi High Court Lists Ketamine As Psychotropic Drug
Delhi High Court banned the use of ketamine under the NDPS Act, as it is capable of affecting the mind, emotions, and behaviors of people.