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Prescription Practices and Empirical Efficacy of Psychopharmacologic Treatments for Pediatric Major Depressive Disorder
Author(s) -
Hirsch Amanda J.,
Carlson John S.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of child and adolescent psychiatric nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.331
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1744-6171
pISSN - 1073-6077
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-6171.2007.00104.x
Subject(s) - medical prescription , major depressive disorder , psychiatry , medicine , depression (economics) , psychology , clinical psychology , mood , pharmacology , economics , macroeconomics
PROBLEM: Limited research on pharmacologic treatments for pediatric major depressive disorder (MDD) exists.METHODS: Prescription practices data for MDD from 1,209 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry members collected in 1998 are compared to the current empirical support for this treatment approach.FINDINGS: Results indicated that psychiatrists have willingly used medication as a first‐line treatment for MDD in children under age 7, despite a paucity of research support for this practice.CONCLUSIONS: Recent warnings regarding the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors warrant the need to reexamine current prescription practices of psychiatric care providers for children diagnosed with MDD.