Abstract
Background
Use of complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies is common among adults
with mental health concerns, but little is known about CAM use among adolescents with
mental health concerns.
Methods
Data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed for youth from 7
to 17 years old. The study focused on 3 common mental health conditions: attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression. CAM therapy use was identified by criteria
from the National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine.
Results
In a sample of 5651 individuals, representing 7 million youth, with 1 or more mental
health concerns in the past 12 months, 28.9% used 1 or more types of CAM therapy,
excluding vitamins/minerals. In contrast, only 11.6% of those without mental health
concerns reported CAM therapy use (P < .05). Among youth with 1 or more mental health conditions, the most commonly used
CAM therapies were mind–body therapies (16.3%) and biologically based therapies (11%);
use was higher for therapies that could be directly accessed (18.6%) than for therapies
delivered in groups (11.8%) or through a health professional (10.2%). In the multivariable
regression model, demographic factors significantly associated with CAM therapy use
were higher household income, higher parental education, having other chronic health
conditions, use of prescription medications, and difficulty affording mental health
counseling.
Conclusions
Readily accessible CAM therapies are commonly used by youth with ADHD, depression,
and anxiety, particularly those who have comorbid chronic health conditions, receive
prescription medications, and have difficulty affording counseling. Clinicians can
use these data to guide inquiries and counseling. Researchers should explore the longitudinal
relationship between access to coordinated care within a medical home and use of CAM
therapies among youth with mental health concerns.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Academic PediatricsAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Enhancing pediatric mental health care: report from the American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Mental Health. Introduction.Pediatrics. 2010; 125: S69-S74
- Prevalence, persistence, and sociodemographic correlates of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Adolescent Supplement.Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2012; 69: 372-380
- Is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder increasing among girls in the US? Trends in diagnosis and the prescribing of stimulants.CNS Drugs. 2002; 16: 129-137
- Trends in the prevalence of developmental disabilities in US children, 1997–2008.Pediatrics. 2011; 127: 1034-1042
- Patterns of comorbidity, functioning, and service use for US children with ADHD, 2007.Pediatrics. 2011; : 462-470
- 12-month herbal medicine use for mental health from the national Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R).Ann Clin Psychiatry. 2011; 23: 83-94
- Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults and children: United States, 2007.Natl Health Stat Rep. 2008; : 1-23
- Trends in use of complementary and alternative medicine by US adults, 1997–2002.Altern Ther Health Med. 2005; 11: 42-49
- The use of complementary and alternative medicine in pediatrics.Pediatrics. 2008; 122: 1374-1386
- Alternative medicine use by homeless youth.Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1998; 152: 1071-1075
- Use of complementary and alternative medicine in pediatric otolaryngology patients attending a tertiary hospital in the UK.Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2007; 71: 1725-1730
- Factors associated with herb and dietary supplement use by young adults in the United States.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2007; 7: 39
- Complementary and alternative medicine behaviors and beliefs in urban adolescents with asthma.J Asthma. 2011; 48: 531-538
- Enhancing pediatric mental health care: algorithms for primary care.Pediatrics. 2010; 125: S109-S125
- Factors associated with pediatric use of complementary and alternative medicine.Pediatrics. 2010; 125: 249-256
- Use of self-chosen therapies by depressed people in primary care.J Clin Nurs. 2007; 16: 1343-1352
- Use of complementary and alternative medicine among women with depression: results of a national survey.Psychiatr Serv. 2007; 58: 349-356
- Neuropsychiatric symptoms and the use of complementary and alternative medicine.PMR. 2013; 5: 24-31
- Polypharmacy and medication adherence: small steps on a long road.J Gen Intern Med. 2001; 16: 137-139
- Promoting medication adherence in children.Am Fam Physician. 2006; 74: 793-798
- Complementary medicine use is not associated with non-adherence to conventional medication in the elderly: a retrospective study.Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011; 17: 206-208
- Factors and common conditions associated with adolescent dietary supplement use: an analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).BMC Complement Altern Med. 2008; 8: 9
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
May 9,
2013
Received:
December 11,
2012
Footnotes
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
