Ausmaß und Risiken des off-label Gebrauchs von Antidepressiva und Antipsychotika bei Kindern und Jugendlichen in Deutschland

Using claims data of about two million young persons per year, we examined extent and risks of antidepressant and antipsychotic off-label use in Germany. During the study period from 2004-2011, the prevalence of antidepressant prescriptions varied between 1.7 and 2.1 per 1,000 minors. The share of off-label prescriptions, decreased from 64.2 to 36.3%. The prevalence of antipsychotic prescriptions ranged from 2.0 to 2.6 per 1,000 minors and between 61.0 and 69.5% of all prescriptions were off-label. The studied adverse drug reactions occurred rarely and there were no significant differences between on- and off-label use. Antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs are commonly prescribed off-label to young patients. This, however, does not necessarily indicate inappropriate drug treatment but rather a lack of approved drugs for pediatric patients. Further and more detailed studies on the safety and efficacy of antidepressant and antipsychotic agents in the treatment of young people are needed.