Antipsychotic medications in children and adolescents.

Antipsychotic medications are commonly prescribed to children and adolescents. These medications, however, are not only prescribed for young patients with psychosis, but are often prescribed for youths with a variety of psychiatric disorders. Despite the fact that psychiatric illness in the pre-adult era is not rare, few controlled clinical trials have examined the short-term safety and efficacy of these agents in youths with psychosis. There are even fewer data regarding the long-term safety and efficacy of these agents in psychotic children and adolescents. As new antipsychotics become available, the study of these agents in youngsters with a variety of psychiatric illnesses may become an exciting new avenue for research.