A new study suggests that contrary to popular opinion, psychiatric medications are not overprescribed for American children. In fact, because of limited access to child psychiatrists, researchers worry more about undertreatment and a failure to explore other means of treatments before medications.

Investigators from Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) compared prescribing rates with prevalence rates for the most common psychiatric disorders in children, and discovered that some of these medications may be under prescribed.

“Over the last several years, there has been widespread ...