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(Health-NewsWire.Net, June 29, 2015 ) Philadelphia, PA -- A recently released study revealed that in 2012, more than a fifth of Pennsylvania's foster children were taking antipsychotics, these powerful prescription drugs can potentially cause serious metabolic side effects such as weight gain and diabetes.
Although the use of psychiatric drugs have slightly decreased among Pennsylvania children on Medicaid, the study reveals that it remains especially high, especially in foster children. According to the report, in 2012 Pennsylvania foster children between the ages of 6 and 18 were three times as likely as others on Medicaid to take psychotropic medications.
The study report was released by researchers at Children's PolicyLab, who have studied psychotropic drug use in this population for a multitude of years. The overuse of psychotropic drugs in low-income children is a national issue, and has gained the attention of federal and state officials.
Stephen Crystal, a Rutgers University health services expert suggests that children on Medicaid had higher rates of behavioral problems than those with private insurance. Crystal also added that children in foster care are more likely to need mental health care than those of the general Medicaid population. Crystal believes that professionals often try to "stabilize" children quickly, which is why many foster children are on psychotropic drugs. In closing, Crystal stated that the "first resort" should be psycho-social intervention, however many children may not have quick access to that, and he believes that medication should be the last resort, according to Philadelphia Inquirer.
A medical associate from Drug Rehab Philadelphia comments "It's quite disheartening to learn that these foster children are essentially being force fed these psychotropic medications. If we start these kids off on prescription medications, there's a high chance they'll begin to abuse prescription drugs. And as we all know, people who start out abusing prescription drugs end up turning to other drugs such as heroin. I do feel at ease now that this is being brought to national attention because this will help put a decline in the rates of psychotropic medications being prescribed to foster children."
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Drug Rehab Philadelphia is a leading addiction treatment center in Philadelphia, PA, dedicated to providing high quality treatment services at an affordable price.
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