Medscape (11/7, Brauser) reports, “A study to assess national trends showed that clinical visits from 1996 to 2009 for anticonvulsants to treat youth diagnosed with any psychiatric illness increased 1.7-fold.” According to research published in the November issue of the journal Psychiatric Services, “the individual disorders that saw the greatest increase in treatment with these medications were attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), pediatric bipolar disorder, and disruptive behavior disorders.” Of the “six specific anticonvulsants examined, lamotrigine showed the greatest increase in use during the study period, whereas use of divalproex decreased significantly.”
