The COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by a deterioration in mental health among many children and adolescents, raising questions about how psychiatric treatment changed during this period. A new scoping review brings together longitudinal evidence on psychotropic medication prescriptions before and during the pandemic across OECD countries.
Psychotropic medication use among children and adolescents had already been increasing before the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, pandemic-related restrictions disrupted everyday life, schooling, social relationships and access to mental health services. Although several studies have examined changes in prescriptions during this period, the evidence has varied considerably between countries and types of medication.
The researchers conducted a scoping review of quantitative longitudinal studies examining psychotropic medication prescriptions among children and adolescents aged 0–19. Five databases were searched, and 14 studies from 11 OECD countries met the inclusion criteria. Most studies relied on national health registers or clinical data and compared prescription patterns during pre-pandemic years with those observed between 2020 and 2022.
Overall, the studies suggested an increase in psychotropic medication prescriptions during the pandemic, although patterns differed considerably between countries and medication types. Antidepressants showed the most consistent increases, while results for antipsychotics, hypnotics and stimulants were more mixed. Some studies also identified initial decreases in prescriptions at the beginning of the pandemic followed by subsequent increases as the pandemic progressed.
Differences were also found according to age, gender and socioeconomic circumstances. Girls experienced particularly large increases in antidepressant prescriptions, while adolescents generally showed greater increases than younger children. Some studies also reported socioeconomic differences in prescribing. However, most of the available research covered only the early years of the pandemic, limiting conclusions about longer-term trends. The authors therefore highlight the need for continued longitudinal monitoring of youth mental health care and psychotropic medication use following major public health crises.
Read more: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12991-026-00692-z