The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of antipsychotic medications in some children and adolescents with severe emotional and behavioral disorders. However, recent national data show a dramatic rise in off-label and Food and Drug Administration–approved uses of these medications. Of particular note is a twofold to fivefold increase in the use of antipsychotic medications in preschool children, despite little information on their long-term effects. This article describes the trend in pediatric antipsychotic medication use, possible explanations for the increase, implications for children’s health, and recommendations for pediatric providers who work with parents of children and adolescents who seek or receive antipsychotic medication treatments.

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Primary care providers (PCPs) frequently encounter behavioral health (BH) needs among their pediatric patients. However, PCPs report variable training in and comfort with BH, and questions remain about how and when PCPs address pediatric BH needs. Existing literature on PCP decisions to address pediatric BH in-office versus referring to subspecialty BH is limited and findings are mixed. Accordingly, this study sought to examine parameters and contextual factors influencing PCP decisions and practices related to BH care. Qualitative interview results with 21 PCPs in Maryland indicated that decisions about how and when to address pediatric BH concerns are influenced by the type BH service needed, patient characteristics, the availability of BH services in the community, and possibly PCPs' perceptions of BH care as a distinct subspecialty. Findings suggest that efforts to support individual PCPs' capacity to address BH within primary care must be balanced by efforts to expand the subspecialty BH workforce.