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Abstract: 

This article summarizes findings from the Report of the Working Group on Psychotropic Medications for Children and Adolescents: Psychopharmacological, Psychosocial, and Combined Interventions for Childhood Disorders: Evidence Base, Contextual Factors, and Future Directions. Childhood disorders that are reviewed include: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD), tourette and tic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, depressive disorders and suicidality, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), and elimination disorders. Findings from psychotropic, psychosocial, and combined interventions are reviewed. The report has recommended that the safest treatments with demonstrated efficacy be considered first, prior to considering other treatments with less favorable side-effect profiles. Given the preponderance of evidence to suggest that psychosocial treatments are safer than psychoactive medications, recommendations are that psychosocial interventions be considered as the initial treatment of choice for children and adolescents and that both acute and long-term safety and efficacy data be obtained for various psychotropic medications and psychosocial treatments in the long term.

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Affiliations:  1: Department of Public Health, Temple University; 2: Department of Kinesiology, Temple University; 3: Department of Psychiatry,University of Maryland School of Medicine; 4: Forensic Clinical Services, Circuit Court of Cook County; 5: College of Health Professions, Temple University.