Grant: Project Grant

Use of medications for treating mental health illness is increasing in Canadian children and youth, with nearly 1 out of every 12 being prescribed one of these drugs. However, little is known about the long-term safety of medications for mental health illness in children and youth, and very few of these drugs are approved by Health Canada for use in young people. As a result, most of these drugs are being used 'off-label' in children, meaning that they are being used in a manner that is different from that for which they were approved. Because use of these drugs is increasing, it is important to understand how these drugs are being prescribed and the chances of long-term side effects. In Ontario, which is home to close to 40% of Canadian children and youth, researchers now have access to the information needed to conduct such studies. That is, by combining different sources of data, we can use Ontario's health care databases to answer questions about drugs for mental health illness in children and youth. Our research proposal will answer these specific questions: 1) Did prescribing of medications for mental health illness to children and youth change in the period before and after the Ontario government started covering the cost of all medications?; 2) How does use of these drugs differ across the province?; 3) Do drugs for attention deficit disorder cause serious eye problems with long-term use? and 4) Does the combination of drugs for attention deficit disorder and schizophrenia cause serious heart problems? For each question, we will also see whether differences exist between girls and boys. Our research team is well qualified to answer these questions, with pharmacists, doctors, psychologists and researchers working together over a planned 4 year period. We will also work closely with parents and policy makers to ensure that our research is used to improve the health of Ontario's children and youth who require these medications.