Sociodemographic disparities in psychotropic medication use among preadolescents: findings from a large nationwide observational study

Youth with psychopathology often receive medications to help manage symptomatology. There is growing concern for inequitable medication prescription based on sociodemographic factors, which may reflect disparities in access to care and practicing patterns. We postulate that in youth treated with psychotropic medications in a large observational study conducted in 21 US sites, there are significant differences in medication use across race, gender, income, and geographic area.