TY - JOUR
T1 - Side effects of second-generation antipsychotics
T2 - The experiences, views and monitoring practices of Australian child psychiatrists
AU - Walter, Garry
AU - Delaroche, Amy
AU - Soh, Nerissa
AU - Hunt, Glenn
AU - Cleary, Michelle
AU - Malhi, Gin
AU - Lambert, Tim
AU - Correll, Christoph
AU - Rey, Joseph
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Dr Phil Brock (Chair, RANZCP Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) and the RANZCP Secretariat for facilitating the mail-out, the child psychiatrists for completing the questionnaire, and Dr Elizabeth Pappadopulos, Dr Claire Berman, Dr Elisabeth Murphy, Mr David Ellis, and Ms Joëlle Lasserre for their assistance. We are grateful to Professor Peter Buckley for permitting us to adapt several items from the instrument used in his team's adult psychiatry survey. The study was funded by a Northern Sydney Area Collaborative Research Grant.
PY - 2008/8
Y1 - 2008/8
N2 - Objective: The aim of this study was to ascertain the experiences, views and monitoring practices of Australian child psychiatrists regarding the metabolic and other side effects of second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs). Method: A 19-item questionnaire was posted to all members of the RANZCP Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry living in Australia. Results: Of the 290 eligible members of the Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 126 (43%) returned a useable survey. SGAs are commonly prescribed for a range of disorders. The majority of respondents expressed a high level of concern regarding weight gain and other metabolic side effects. Weight gain was the most frequently observed and monitored side effect in clinical practice. Other side effects were observed and monitored to a variable extent. Notably, monitoring practices did not parallel psychiatrists' reported level of concern or knowledge regarding weight gain and metabolic side effects, nor coincide with published recommendations. Conclusions: Further research is required into the use, efficacy, side effects and monitoring of SGAs in children and adolescents, and there is a need to ensure that monitoring guidelines are implemented in clinical practice. This need is heightened by the likelihood that our data on clinicians' practice, which is based on their perceptions, may overestimate what actually occurs.
AB - Objective: The aim of this study was to ascertain the experiences, views and monitoring practices of Australian child psychiatrists regarding the metabolic and other side effects of second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs). Method: A 19-item questionnaire was posted to all members of the RANZCP Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry living in Australia. Results: Of the 290 eligible members of the Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 126 (43%) returned a useable survey. SGAs are commonly prescribed for a range of disorders. The majority of respondents expressed a high level of concern regarding weight gain and other metabolic side effects. Weight gain was the most frequently observed and monitored side effect in clinical practice. Other side effects were observed and monitored to a variable extent. Notably, monitoring practices did not parallel psychiatrists' reported level of concern or knowledge regarding weight gain and metabolic side effects, nor coincide with published recommendations. Conclusions: Further research is required into the use, efficacy, side effects and monitoring of SGAs in children and adolescents, and there is a need to ensure that monitoring guidelines are implemented in clinical practice. This need is heightened by the likelihood that our data on clinicians' practice, which is based on their perceptions, may overestimate what actually occurs.
KW - Child psychiatrists
KW - Metabolic syndrome
KW - Monitoring
KW - Prescribing practices
KW - Second-generation antipsychotics
KW - Side effects
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=48749117399&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10398560801958549
DO - 10.1080/10398560801958549
M3 - Article
C2 - 18608172
AN - SCOPUS:48749117399
SN - 1039-8562
VL - 16
SP - 253
EP - 262
JO - Australasian Psychiatry
JF - Australasian Psychiatry
IS - 4
ER -