Prescription practices and empirical efficacy of psychopharmacologic treatments for pediatric major depressive disorder.
OBJECTIVE
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.


RESULTS
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.
Hirsch
Amanda J
AJ
Applied Developmental Psychology Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Carlson
John S
JS
D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002665:Child Psychiatry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors