Medications and Diagnoses of youth receiving IAFT® Treatment
Disruption Potential – July 2025
This report tracks the proportion of youth in care who, based on completed oversight records, were identified as having a potential for placement disruption during July 2025.
Key Metrics
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Youth Reviewed: 101
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Youth with Disruption Potential: 13
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Disruption Potential Rate: 12.9%
This means that approximately one in every eight youth assessed this month were flagged as having factors that could lead to disruption in their current placement.
Contributing Factors
The analysis of disruption risk identified the following contributing elements:
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Behaviors – 11 cases: The most significant driver, including behavioral challenges that impact stability in the current setting.
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Youth/Parent Relationship – 3 cases: Issues in the youth’s relationship with their parent(s) contributing to instability.
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Treatment Parent Skills – 2 cases: Gaps or limitations in the skills of treatment parents to meet the youth’s needs.
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Family Factors – 1 case: Broader family-related issues affecting placement stability.
Insight and Implications
Behavioral challenges remain the predominant factor influencing disruption risk, far outweighing other causes. Strengthening behavioral supports, enhancing treatment parent skills, and addressing relationship dynamics between youth and parents could help reduce disruption potential in the coming months.
Clinical Profile
Clinical Profile – Diagnoses and Medication Use
This report summarizes the types of diagnoses, psychotropic medication use, and the number of medications prescribed per child within the population reviewed.
Diagnosis Types
The most common diagnoses among youth in care are:
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): 69 cases – the most prevalent diagnosis in the dataset.
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Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): 63 cases – a significant portion of the population.
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Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)/Conduct Disorder: 54 cases.
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Mood Disorders: 22 cases.
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Less common diagnoses include Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (11), Learning Disabilities/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (LD/IDD) (13), Attachment Disorders (3), Sleep Disorders (1), and Substance Abuse (3).
Medication Types
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ADHD Medications: 63 children – reflecting the high ADHD diagnosis rate.
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Antidepressants: 49 children – likely related to mood disorders and PTSD.
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Antipsychotics: 32 children – potentially addressing ODD/conduct issues and severe behavioral needs.
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Mood Stabilizers and Sleep Aids: 21 children each.
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Anti-Anxiety Medications: 11 children.
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Substance-related medications: 1 child.
Number of Psychotropic Medications Per Child
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No Medications: 26 children (note: some may have missing data).
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1–2 Medications: 18 children with one medication, 21 with two medications.
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3–4 Medications: 17 children with three medications, 13 with four medications.
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5–6 Medications: 5 children on five medications, 3 children on six medications.
Insights and Implications
The data shows a high prevalence of trauma-related and behavioral diagnoses, with PTSD and ADHD leading. Medication use closely mirrors diagnosis patterns, particularly with ADHD medications and antidepressants being most common. A notable subset of youth is prescribed three or more psychotropic medications, suggesting a need for careful monitoring of polypharmacy practices and ongoing evaluation of treatment effectiveness.