Prescribing antipsychotic medications to children and teenagers is complicated by side effects such as weight gain (which can increase health risks later in life), sedation, and neurological problems such as stiffness or spasms.
Patients being treated for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder often do not take their medication properly, because of side effects, belief that they do not need the medication, or various other reasons.
Patients taking antipsychotic medications, particularly at higher dosages, are at increased risk of dying from a sudden cardiac event, though screening for heart problems and prescribing at the lowest effective dose may reduce the risk.
Children who took second-generation antipsychotic drugs were likely to experience weight gain as a side effect.
A review of studies indicated that music therapy may be an effective treatment for depression. Because the studies considered were small, this technique may prove to be most effective in combination with other therapies.
Statistical evidence indicates that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders has increased since the 1960s. It is believed that this is due to increased public awareness and broader diagnostic criteria.
More primary care physicians and internists are prescribing antidepressant medications, and the overall number of prescriptions is on the rise.
In the treatment of first-episode schizophrenia, starting treatment as quickly as possible offers the best chance of relief from symptoms, but this is frequently complicated by difficulty in confirming the diagnosis.
Treatment of patients with schizophrenia often falters because patients are unwilling or unable to maintain doctor’s appointments and medication schedules. Transitional services such as assertive community treatment can improve the chances of success.
The erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil may improve sexual function in women who take antidepressants, but there is no evidence that it boosts sexual desire in women with low or no libido.