[Off-label prescription of psychopharmacological drugs for children and adolescents].

Despite regulatory initiatives, psychopharmacological treatment of adolescents is challenged by missing trial data on efficacy and safety. In Denmark, an estimated mean off-label prescription rate of 30-40% in clinical child- and adolescent mental health services has been found in recent studies. The lowest rates were found for drugs treating ADHD (2-3%), and the highest for antipsychotics (96%) and melatonin (100%). The use of melatonin is growing, while the use of other psychopharmacological drugs appears to be stabilizing or decreasing, in spite of an increased number of adolescents treated in Danish mental health services.