Psychotropic Medication Use Among Adolescents and Young Adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder: Parent Views About Medication Use and Healthcare Services

Abstract

Objectives: Psychotropic medications are frequently used to treat mental health and behavioral issues in adolescents and adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).Although parents of individuals with ASD frequently take on medication management for their child, there is limited literature on parent perspectives of their child's medication use or their views about the health care services they receive, particularly in adulthood.The current study examined and compared parents of adolescents and of young adults with ASD on their child's psychotropic medication use and their views about health care services. Methods: One hundred parents of adolescents and young adults with ASD (ages 12-30 years) completed an online survey about their experience with their child's health care services and medication use. Results: Parents of young adults were less likely to use non-pharmacological services before using a psychotropic medication compared to parents of adolescents. Parents of young adults were also less likely to believe their prescribing health care provider had adequate expertise in ASD and were less satisfied with how their prescriber monitored their child's medication use. Conclusion: Findings highlight the need to build capacity among health care providers supporting individuals with ASD as they transition into adulthood. There is also a need for improved medication monitoring and increased awareness of the different mental health challenges individuals with ASD encounter as they age. We know even less about parent perspectives as individuals with ASD enter adulthood, when the needs of patients and families may change (Graetz 2010). This transition can be particularly challenging for individuals with ASD, not only in terms of physiological changes, but also because of possible changes to residence, education, and employment. Additionally, young adults may encounter significant changes in service eligibility or accessibility, and some adults may no longer be eligible or have access to funded non-pharmacological services or supports. For example, adolescents access services through children's services and the school system, whereas young adults receive services within the adult system. Further, young adults must move from the pediatric to the adult health care system, where access to health care professionals and trainees who have the capacity and expertise to care for individuals with ASD is sparse (Bruder et al. 2012;Cheak-Zamora et al. 2013;Marrus et al. 2014). Lastly, medication efficacy, tolerability, and the reason(s) for prescribing medication or the individual's psychiatric presentation, may also differ between the two groups. For these reasons, there is a clear need to better understand the unique experience of medication use among transitioning youth with ASD, and how these experiences differ from younger adolescents.In the only study to examine parent perspectives on psychotropic medication use among adolescents and adults with ASD, we identified a number of key concerns related to medication u...

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