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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Autism Dev Disord. 2017 Jan;47(1):144–154. doi: 10.1007/s10803-016-2946-7

Table 2. Prevalence Psychotropic Medication Use and Average Months Supplied by Therapeutic Class, for Children with and without ASD in 2010.

Therapeutic Class Percentage receiving any medication in class Difference in Likelihood of Any Use in Year, ASD vs no ASD Average months supplied per user per year

Children with ASD (n=7,901) Children with no ASD (n=79,010) Adjusted OR (95% c.i.) P-value Children with ASD and any use Children with no ASD and any use

All psychiatric medications 48.47 7.7 11.44 (10.02,13.06) <0.0001 18.3 9.3

All ADHD medications 30.24 5.13 8.44 (7.61, 9.37) <0.0001 12.3 9.9
S timulants 22.73 4 .7 6 6.12 (5.51, 6.81) <0 .0001 11.5 9.4
Other ADHD* 12.35 0 .8 4 17.53 (15.42,19.93) <0 .0001 9.0 7.1
Antipsychotics 20.50 0.64 40.50 (35.25,46.53) <0.0001 10.5 7.2
2nd generation 20.30 0 .6 0 42.58 (36.99,49.01) <0 .0001 10.4 7.4
1st generation 0 .3 9 0 .0 4 9.55 (5.85,15.60) <0 .0001 7.3 2.3
Antidepressants 17.83 1.42 13.65 (11.88,15.69) <0.0001 9.5 6.7
All mood stabilizers 9.07 0.55 17.20 (14.77, 20.02) <0.0001 11.7 9.3
Anticonvulsants 8 .7 2 0 .5 3 17.07 (14.67,19.88) <0 .0001 11.5 9.1
Lithium 0 .5 8 0 .0 3 19.80 (12.24,32.02) <0 .0001 9.5 10.4
Benzodiazepines 4.30 0.48 8.96 (7.68,10.46) <0.0001 2.8 1.6
Anti-anxiety medications 3.00 1.16 2.62 (2.22, 3.10) <0.0001 3.3 1.1
Hypnotics 0.20 0.02 (nonconvergent) -- 2.9 1.6

Notes: ASD cohort N=7,901; no-ASD cohort N=79,010.

Medication months supplied are added across all dispensings in class.

Other ADHD medications included alpha-2 adrenergic agonists and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (see appendix).

Logistic regression models controlled for SES (neighborhood education attainment and median household income quartile), age, sex, & health system site.