Medication Patterns for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Comorbid Psychiatric Conditions in a Low-Income Population

The aims of this study were two-fold: (1) to describe the patterns of comorbid psychiatric diagnosis and psychotropic drug therapy for children enrolled in a Medicaid-managed care program and diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 2000 and (2) to examine child and provider characteristics associated with psychotropic medication patterns for this population. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine correlates of stimulant and seven nonstimulant psychotropic medication classes (alpha-agonists, mood stabilizer/anticonvulsant, antianxiety, standard antipsychotic, atypical antipsychotic, and tricyclic antidepressant (TCA)/other antidepressant and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant). With the exception of conduct disorders (odds ratio, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.06–1.40), comorbid disorders had a significant protective effect (odds ratio less than 1) on dispensing stimulants. After adjusting for covariates, stimulant dispensing was strongly correlated with the interactions of geographic region with race/ethnicity and provider type. Children residing in the upstate New York region had an approximately ten-fold greater chance of being dispensed a stimulant compared to similar children in New York City. Utilizing a mental health provider increased the chance of being dispensed a stimulant by factor of two for children from New York City of any race/ethnicity group. Models predicting nonstimulant drug dispensing were distinct from the stimulant model. After adjusting for covariates, nonstimulant psychotropic medication dispensing was correlated with clinical factors, including comorbid disorder category and use of a mental health provider, as well as notable sociodemographic factors. Complex psychotropic medication and comorbid psychiatric disorder patterns were evident for this low-income population of children with ADHD. The roles of clinical, patient, and provider factors need to be better understood to explain these patterns of stimulant and nonstimulant psychotropic medications dispensed.