Section - CAP Smart Takes

04. Sleep Medication Prescribing Tendencies in Youth With Insomnia

Published on June 1, 2024 Certification expiration date: June 1, 2027

David R. Rosenberg, M.D.

Chair of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience - Wayne State University School of Medicine

Key Points

A high prevalence (75%) of psychiatric comorbidities exists in children, adolescents, and young adults aged 2–24 years with a new insomnia diagnosis.
Sleep and related medications are frequently prescribed to youth with insomnia, often within a week of diagnosis, despite the lack of FDA-approved medication for pediatric insomnia.
Psychiatric comorbidities, such as anxiety disorders, depression, and ADHD, are common in youth with insomnia and can significantly impact treatment relevance and sleep.

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Hi! David Rosenberg here for the Psychopharmacology Institute. In this CAP—or Child and Adolescent Psychiatry—Smart Take, we will analyze the impact of psychiatric conditions and sleep medication prescription patterns on children, adolescents, and young adults (ages 2–24) with insomnia. This article is timely, as inadequate sleep has become an epidemic in youth. This is a highly prevalent and often chronically disabling condition. The reality is that prescribed and over-the-counter sleep medications are routinely being given to youth even though there are no FDA-approved prescription medications for insomnia in children. It is essential to characterize the use of sleep medication among children, adolescents, and young adults with insomnia, as well as identify prescription patterns to inform research and guidelines development.

In this article, the authors examined commercial claims and encounter databases from MarketScan in youth aged 2–17 years and older youth aged 18–24 years with an insomnia diagnosis. Comorbidities included ADHD,

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05. Improving Outcomes in Early-Onset Schizophrenia

Learning Objectives:

Recognize that long-term methylphenidate treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD may possibly improve sleep.
Recognize the potential of deep transcranial magnetic stimulation as a novel treatment for treatment-resistant depression in adolescents.
Recognize that, in adolescents, aripiprazole use may be associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
Appreciate the importance of accurate diagnosis of primary conditions and comorbidities in achieving therapeutic efficacy and treatment response in youth with insomnia.
Understand the role of antipsychotic treatment, particularly second-generation antipsychotics, in managing early-onset schizophrenia.

Original Release Date: June 1, 2024

Expiration Date: June 1, 2027

Experts: David Rosenberg, M.D.

Medical Editor: Lorena Rodriguez, M.D.

Relevant Financial Disclosures:

None of the faculty, planners, and reviewers for this educational activity have relevant financial relationships to disclose during the last 24 months with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

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This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of Medical Academy LLC and the Psychopharmacology Institute. Medical Academy is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians

Credit Designation Statement

Medical Academy designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.