Transition from child and adolescent psychiatry to general practice: a review of discharge summaries for Danish youths treated with antipsychotics

<jats:p>Antipsychotic use before age 18 is associated with increased cardiometabolic risk, yet prolonged use in youths is common. In Denmark, antipsychotics are mainly initiated in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). We reviewed 500 discharge summaries for youths transitioning from CAMHS to general practice in Southern Denmark. We included 38 (7.6%) patients, primarily females (74%; n=28), with a median age of 18 years (interquartile range [IQR] 17-19) and one prescribed antipsychotic (IQR 1-1). Discharge summary information was often insufficient: 63% (n=24) had incomplete or no medication lists, and only 32% (n=12) and 26% (n=10) included guidance on monitoring and dose adjustment/discontinuation, respectively. Among the few summaries recommending monitoring, only half included actionable, time-specific guidance. Among those recommending dose adjustment/discontinuation, actionable, time-specific guidance was rare (n&lt;5). In conclusion, discharge summaries from CAMHS commonly lacked information to support safe continuation of antipsychotic treatment following transition to general practice.</jats:p>