New edition released May 2023

Quick and comprehensive information on psychotropic drugs for children and adolescents.

• Accurate and up-to-date
• Specific to children and adolescents
• Charts and tables help decision-making
• Icons and full color

Many psychotropic drugs are used to treat childhood and adolescent mental illness on the basis of efficacy in adults, despite not being currently approved for use in the young. The lack of approval does not necessarily reflect lack of safety or efficacy, but it does reflect a lack of controlled studies.

The Clinical Handbook of Psychotropic Drugs for Children and Adolescents is a unique resource to help you make the right choice for younger patients:

• Packed with unique, easy-to-read comparison charts and tables (dosages, side effects, pharmacokinetics, interactions…) for a quick overview of treatment options
• Succinct, bulleted information on all classes of medication: on- and off-label indications, (US FDA, Health Canada), recommended dosages, US and Canadian trade names, side effects, interactions, pharmacodynamics, nursing implications, and much more – all you need to know for each class of drug
• Potential interactions and side effects summarized in comparison charts
• With instantly recognizable icons and in full color throughout, allowing you to find at a glance all the information you seek
• Clearly written patient and caregiver information sheets for download as printable PDF files

This book is a must for all mental health professionals working with children and adolescents who need an up-to-date, easy-to use, comprehensive summary of all the most relevant information about psychotropic drugs.

Watch an interview with Dean Elbe about the new edition

New in this edition:

• Drugs for ADHD thoroughly revised and updated
• Antipsychotics with many changes and additions, including fully revised lab tests/monitoring
• Antidepressants fully revised, including new sections on irreversible MAO-B inhibitor and serotonin modulator and stimulator (SMS), revised frequency of adverse effects table and switching strategies recommendations
• Hypnotics completely revised
• Mood stabilizers fully revised and a new toxicity comparison table added
• Drugs of abuse and treatment of substance use disorders comprehensively revised
• New unapproved treatments with significant updates, including: anti-inflammatories and NMDA agents in anxiety/OCD, cannabis use disorder, and irritability of autism
• New agents include: Third generation antipsychotics brexpiprazole and cariprazine, orexin receptor antagonist suvorexant, selective melatonin agonist tasimelteon, serotonin modulator and stimulator vortioxetine
• New formulations and trade names include: Adasuve, Alprazolam Intensol, Aptensio XR, Aristada, Belbuca, Belsomra, Brintellix, Bunavail, Cotempla XR-ODT, Dyanavel XR, Eldepryl, EMSAM, Evekeo, Hemangeol, Hetlioz, Innopran XL, Invega Trinza, Khedezla, Metadol-D, Mydayis, NyQuil, Quillichew ER, Quillivant XR, Rexulti, Tegretol (liquid), Trintellix, Versacloz, Vraylar, Zelapar, Zenzedi

To the patient and caregiver information sheets

Do you want print and online? Deal with adults and children? Then combine CHPD publications and save. Click here for more information.

From the reviews

"The purpose [of this book] is to provide a user-friendly, practical resource in quick access format for medical professionals prescribing, dispensing, and administering psychotropic drugs to children and adolescents. The book is very complete as far as the medications it covers [and] is very useful for pharmacists and physicians treating children and adolescents with psychotropic medications. It is also well designed to assist students. The new edition provide[s] updated information in a field full of developing knowledge."
Lauren Eichstadt Forsythe, PharmD, UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, in Doody's Listings and Reviews, 2019

Praise for the book

“This book makes dry material more interesting and is pleasing to the eye… An abundance of new and old ideas, even for very savvy clinicians... An excellent purchase.”
M. M. Relja and M. Sachdev in Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology

“A ‘must-have’ for those prescribing psychotropic medications in children and adolescents. It remains by far the most user-friendly and comprehensive handbook available for prescribers, teachers, students, and others working or interested in the field of child and adolescent psychopharmacology.”
Pieter Joost van Wattum in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry

“Authoritatively and exhaustively compiles currently available information in a user-friendly form. The aim of the Handbook is to be a source of ‘fast facts’ for the busy clinician...an aim it achieves splendidly.”
M. Gittelman, Editor of International Journal of Mental Health

“If you see children who are placed on psychotropic medications, this book clearly falls into your ‘must-have’ category.”
J. C. Courtney in Child Neuropsychology

Available products of the Clinical Handbook of Psychotropic Drugs