Psychopharmacology for Pediatric Aggression

Aggressive, dyscontrolled behavior is a highly impairing complication of numerous psychiatric disorders that affect children and adolescents. In clinical practice, aggressive and other destructive behaviors have long been targets for pharmacotherapy. However, the evidence base to support the multitude of agents and their combinations in widespread use remains limited. This chapter reviews clinical considerations for the pharmacotherapeutic management of aggressive behavior in the context of the “underlying” psychopathology that generates these disturbances. Specific pharmacotherapy treatment approaches to key patient populations are presented, along with their evidence base and practical guidance for their use.