Psychiatric treatments for children and adolescents preferred by spanish psychiatrists

Abstract

Objectives: To study the prescription criteria of Spanish psychiatrists treating children and adolescents. Methods: a survey was designed to record their first choice and complementary preferences for pharmacological, psychotherapeutic and psychoeducational interventions in five disorders: autism, depression, separation anxiety, obsessive compulsive and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorders. Results: One hundred and nine psychiatrists responded. No distinction was made between children and adolescents. Around 90% recommended all three types of intervention in the five disorders. Only 2-10% would use only one treatment. Antidepressants were the most frequently prescribed drugs (recommended by 58%), followed by anxiolytics (33%), antipsychotics (24%), stimulants (20%), beta-blockers (19%), mood stabilizers (10%) and alpha-adrenergics (4%). Cognitive-behavioral therapy was the most popular approach, recommended by 66%; a third of the interviewees recommended family, support, interpersonal and dynamic psychotherapy. Interestingly, respondents quite frequently prescribe drugs, drug combinations and psychotherapies whose efficacy has not been demonstrated in the disorders in question. Conclusions: The majority of Spanish psychiatrists preferred the combined treatments in all disorders. There seems to be a tendency towards excessive generalization of therapeutic results obtained in adults.