Best Practices for Prescribing and Deprescribing Psychotropic Medications for Children and Youth

Psychotropic medications can be a critical service component in treating youth with emotional or behavioral conditions. This chapter outlines best practices for using psychotropic medications with youth. We emphasize that psychotropic medications are not curative, but at best play a role in managing symptoms and fostering conditions that help a youth engage in skills-based treatment. We discuss current trends, practices, and recommendations for the use of psychotropic medications in children. In particular, we focus on principles outlined in the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s (AACAP) Practice Parameter, and discuss how deprescription is consistent with these principles. A case study of a child admitted to a residential treatment center on ten psychotropic medications provides an illustration of the importance of using deprescription in everyday practice.