Factors associated with psychotropic medication in mental retardation facilities

This study measures the association of rate of medication and use of polypharmacy with various demographic and clinical factors and finds very little conclusive evidence to guide physicians' choice of treatment.

Abstract

Although surveys1–7 have repeatedly shown evidence of excessive use of psychotropic drugs in institutions for the mentally subnormal throughout the modern world, the major factors contributing to this phenomenon have not been clearly identified. Previous studies show a diversity of opinion, but lack of systematic data analysis has rendered them unsatisfactory as a sound basis for resolving the problem.Freeman8 reported that the extensive use of psychotropic drugs in the institution is related to lak of adequate staff and to exaggerated hope for pharmacotherapy. Werry and Sprague9 mentioned physicians' untoward optimism coupled with the psychodynamics of therapeutic impotence as encouraging the “search for the magic bullet”. Kirman3 attributed behavior disorders and drug usage to lack of adequate occupational training programs. Lipman1 found very little conclusive evidence to guide physicians' choice of treatment. Paucity of psychiatric training of staffs is considered by Reid10 to be responsible both for a failure to recognize psychiatric disorders and the misuse of psychotropic drugs. Thus, though most of these viewpoints may be pertinent, their validity and relative importance remains to be determined. This study measures the association of rate of medication and use of polypharmacy with various demographic and clinical factors.