The American journal of psychiatry
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The study examined trends in use of inpatient and outpatient mental health services, including pharmacotherapy, among privately insured children and adolescents from 1997 to 2000. ⋯ Reductions in inpatient and outpatient mental health service intensity and reimbursements documented in previous research continued through the late 1990s. Declines were accompanied by concurrent increases in the use of and costs associated with psychotropic medications, particularly for youths with mood and anxiety disorders. These results document a shift toward medication-based outpatient treatment modalities.