Psychotherapy Claims Surrounding Pharmacotherapy Initiation in Children and Adolescents with Anxiety Disorders
Year: 2018
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Psychotherapy is an effective, recommended treatment for pediatric anxiety disorders. Nevertheless, individuals with mental health conditions often do not receive psychotherapy, with variation across provider types. This study sought to examine psychotherapy claims surrounding medication initiation in U.S. children with diagnosed anxiety disorders. METHODS: The study cohort included privately insured children (3-17 years) with a diagnosed anxiety disorder initiating a medication to treat anxiety from 2004 to 2014. We examined psychotherapy claims in the 3 months before and 3 months after medication initiation and described children with multiple (2+) psychotherapy claims per 3-month period. RESULTS: Of the 75,024 children initiating a medication for anxiety (median age = 14 years, 58% female), 35% had multiple psychotherapy claims before medication initiation, with variation by age, anxiety disorder, and psychiatric comorbidity and with little change across time. Psychotherapy claims after medication initiation varied by whether the child had prior psychotherapy: 80% in children with prior psychotherapy and 30% in children without prior psychotherapy claims (44% of children diagnosed by a psychiatrist, 21% of children diagnosed by a pediatrician). CONCLUSION: Many privately insured children do not have claims for psychotherapy before or after pharmacotherapy initiation for anxiety. Findings can inform future research and efforts to ultimately increase appropriate psychotherapy utilization in children with anxiety disorders.
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Duke University, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, H2020 European Research Council
OpenAlex ID: W2904658337