The use of psychotropic medication on children in foster care is a widely debated topic. Some feel that foster children are medicated simply to make it easier for their foster parents, school officials and caseworkers to handle their behavior. Others feel that these vulnerable young people, having been victims of abuse and neglect at the hands of the people they love the most, need medication to help them cope with what they’ve experienced. No matter what your opinion is on the matter, there is little argument that the long-term effects of these drugs on young people needs to be carefully studied and the benefits and drawbacks carefully assessed.

Psychotropic Medication and Foster Children

The website Mad in America recently posted an article based on a study done in Psychiatric Services that suggests a correlation between the amount of time children are in foster care and the amount of psychotropic drugs prescribed. One of the biggest concerns expressed in the study was that these medications are being taken at times of great brain development, so the long-term impact on foster children and youth may be significant.

Read Mad in America’s article More Time in Foster Care Linked to More Psychotropic Medicating and let us know your opinions on this issue.