Psychopharmacologic treatment of aggressive preschoolers: a chart review

Abstract

Very young children with severe aggression are a growing focus of care in child psychiatry. Notwithstanding diagnostic uncertainties in this age group, medication, not usually considered a first-line intervention, is becoming a treatment option for a growing number of clinicians in spite of a dearth of research in this area. This chart review assessed the patient characteristics, diagnoses and treatment responses of aggressive preschoolers who were treated in a university child psychiatry outpatient clinic from 2001-2004. The most common diagnoses were Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Disruptive Behavior Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Medication was prescribed for a majority of the children with prominent aggression; atypical antipsychotics were prescribed with the greatest frequency, followed by stimulants and then alpha agonists--treatment response ratings indicated moderate to marked improved in a majority of the preschoolers who received one or a combination of these medications. Findings support the need for controlled trials of medication in preschoolers with severe aggression.