Florida’s newest guidelines warn against prescribing psychotropic medications for children, echoing the Make America Healthy Again movement’s push to impose changes on childhood health care.
On Friday the Florida Department of Health issued guidance for psychotropic pharmacotherapy in children 5 to 17, recommending against the use of drugs to treat mental health conditions like depression, anxiety or attention-deficit related disorders in most cases.
Two months prior, at a Make America Healthy Again summit in Washington, D.C., Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said the agency would address the overuse of psychiatric medications among children.
Florida’s guidance follows suit.
“As more families seek support for conditions such as anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit disorders, treatment should be guided by a thorough understanding of each child’s unique circumstances and needs,” State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo said in Orange County on Friday. “Parents deserve access to clear information about the benefits, risks, and available alternatives so they can make informed decisions regarding their children’s health.”
It’s the latest instance of Florida channeling Kennedy’s MAHA agenda.
In the last year, First Lady Casey DeSantis and Ladapo have toured the state promoting the Healthy Florida First initiative, which tests for toxins and heavy metals in food.
A more controversial proposal was Ladapo’s call for the Legislature to repeal all vaccine mandates, and DeSantis’ push for pediatricians to accept all patients regardless of vaccination status. Lawmakers didn’t pass either plan in the legislative session earlier this year.
In the state’s new guidance statement, the DOH “cautions” health care providers in prescribing psychotropic medications for anxiety, depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and behavioral disorders.
Instead, the state recommends employing other strategies, including psychotherapy, evidence-based behavior management and deprescribing medications.
“Psychotropic medications can play an important role in treatment when they are clinically appropriate and medically necessary, but they should never be used as a substitute for individual therapy and other psychosocial care options,” said Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Shevaun Harris in a released statement.
In response to HHS in May, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) said the agency’s statement “broadly and imprecisely challenges established psychiatric diagnoses and evidence‑based treatments,” creating risk for children and families.
“AACAP urges policymakers to ensure that decisions affecting access to psychiatric medications and mental health services are grounded in evidence and informed by child and adolescent psychiatrists and other qualified clinicians,” said Dr. John Walkup, AACAP president.
The Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the AACAP could not be reached for comment.
A spokesperson for DOH said the state’s guidelines do not contradict the AACAP’s recommendation and are intended to raise awareness.
“The Department’s guidance emphasizes the importance of comprehensive assessment before psychotropic medications are prescribed, including evaluating underlying risk factors and ensuring appropriate clinical oversight,” said Nathalia Medina, deputy director of communications.
–Ana Goñi-Lessan, News Service of Florida
The dude says
the kids today are growing up in dying world in a dying civilization. Fascism has taken root, every year is hotter than the last, costs have multiplied while earnings have stayed the same. Ai will eliminate their ability to earn money. 70% of all wildlife is gone from just 50 years ago. Ocean temps are off the charts. Media uses complex algorithms to influence behavior, spread misinformation, and set unrealistic standards. Cant imagine why some kid may need some support lol. End rapeubican Terror! Rapeublicans should be banned from even standing on school property since they support pedophilia, starve kids at home and bomb them abroad. What a shameful shithole of a county that has rapist pedophile felons making policy.
Pogo says
DeSantis and his posse could all benefit from a maximum dose.
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
— George Eliot, Middlemarch
https://www.google.com/search?q=George+Eliot
Deborah Coffey says
All this says again is “Republicans hate you and your children.” Good luck, Repubs!
Kennan says
Florida…. Mental health….. Republicans……Trump….. Things that will always contradict one another.
Joe D says
I’ve waited a few days to cool off before responding to this article regarding the Florida Health Department recommending NOT to prescribe Psychiatric Medication to children and teens. What a BLANKET and IRRESPONSIBLE statement!
I fully agree with the American Academy of Child Psychiatrists, whose statement CLARIFIES, that RANDOM USE was not appropriate, but as part of a comprehensive treatment plan: Medication where appropriate, with individual or group therapy (which tends to work better with teens), and USUALLY family therapy along with treating the individual child.
As a retired MASTERS prepared Clinical Nurse Specialist and Certified Nurse Case Manager, I was a Child/Adolescent and FAMILY THERAPIST. MEDICATION as part of a comprehensive treatment plan IS APPROPRIATE for many young patients. To recommend that they be avoided across the board, is MEDICAL MISINFORMATION, bordering on MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ! But not a surprise coming from a National Secretary of Health who has ABSOLUTELY NO MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS to be setting ANY medical policy.
That being said, I do agree that a general Pediatrician should not be just prescribing antidepressants, antipsychotics, or ADHD meds, tossing the bottle of pills to the family and calling it a day! However, teens and younger children do get clinically DEPRESSED ( changes in mood, dropping of school interests or grades, excessive sleeping, isolation from family or peers, drastic change in eating …suddenly less or suddenly more). Children and teens do have difficulty with attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity. Speaking with your child’s teacher about their ability to pay attention to activities in the classroom, work independently without distractions, and remain in their assigned areas, COULD be behavioral signs of ADHD.
If parents are concerned about CHANGES in their child’s behavior, the FIRST STEP is the PEDIATRICIAN, who can do a basic assessment ( especially with attention deficit and hyperactivity). If they have concerns beyond just a short developmental event, they might be able to calm parent down. But if the behaviors worsen, or persist, resulting in school phobia, school truancy, angry acting out behavior or substance abuse, it’s time for a referral to either a Clinical Social Worker or other therapist for further evaluation, if it looks like medication might be helpful, a CHILD PSYCHIATRIST can be consulted for appropriate medication use. If medications are needed, the patient’s response to them should be monitored for both dosage or effectiveness ( not every medication works for every patient).
For a MEDICAL ADVISORY GROUP to say that Mental Health medications shouldn’t be prescribed to children or teens, is a TRAVESTY! As a therapist, I have seen MIRACULOUS turn around in patients where appropriate medications have been prescribed. In fact I can say with experience, many adult mental disorders have become life altering later on, due to early childhood trauma and the mental health needs of children being IGNORED!!
I just can’t get over how COMPLETELY incompetent individuals with no experience are being allowed to influence MEDICAL POLICY for a whole State or Nation! But I guess we get what we voted for…but I’m not sure all the voters EXPECTED WHAT WE GOT!