Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care Understanding Psychotropic Medications
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Are you a foster or adoptive parent whose child is taking mood altering medications or medications to help them sleep? You will learn a lot about these medications and what you can do to make them as effective as possible. We talk with Dr. Adam Langenfeld, a Developmental Pediatrician at Children's Minnesota hospital. He also has a Ph.D. in chemistry.
In this episode, we cover:
- What are psychotropic medications?
- What are the classes of psychotropic medications?
- What are some commonly prescribed medications in each class?
- What mental health issues are these medications addressing?
- Symptoms of anxiety and depression in children.
- Situational anxiety or depression.
- SCARED checklist anxiety
- Childhood Depression Inventory
- How do psychotropic medications work? A basic overview of Psych Pharmacology.
- Simulation of a brain synapsis
- How are medications in each of these classes administered?
- Does timing of the day matter?
- How effective is melatonin?
- Does proximity to meals matter when administering these medications?
- What are some of the side effects of the most commonly used psychotropic medications?
- Psychedelics?
- Supplements (such as CBD)?
- Why are children in foster care more likely to be on psychotropic medications?
- Does use of psychotropic medications in childhood increase the likelihood of substance abuse in adolescence or adulthood?
- What can parents do to help these medications be as effective as possible?
- How to know when a child should taper down or get off of psychotropic medications?
- If parents believe that the child is on too many psychotropic medications, what should they do?
Additional Resources:
- Children in Foster Care Much More Likely to be Prescribed Psychotropic Medications Compared with Non-Foster Children in Medicaid Program
- National Alliance on Mental Illness, Quick Reference to Psychiatric Medications
- Common Medications Used in Psychiatric Treatment
- Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED)
- Children’s Depression Inventory 2nd Edition (there is a fee for this inventory)
- Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
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