Bibliographic information
Recommendation
Caregiver interventions that promote nurturing caregiver-child relationships, including through improved communication skills and direct coaching of parents while they are interacting with their children, may be considered.
Recommended in favor
Conditional
Certainty of evidence
Very low
Notes and Remarks
For more information and recommendations about pharmacological interventions forchildren and adolescents with mental disorders please refer to the mhGAPintervention guide for mental, neurological and substance use disorders in non-specialized health settings. Version 2.0 2016. Geneva: World Health Organization;2016 in particular https://www.who.int/mental_health/mhgap/evidence/resource/child_q12.pdf?ua=1(pharmacological interventions for children with emotional disorder)andhttps://www.who.int/mental_health/mhgap/evidence/resource/child_q8.pdf?ua=1(pharmacological interventions for children with behavioural and conduct disorder).Relevant recommendations are summarized below:• Pharmacological interventions (such as methylphenidate, lithium, carbamazepineand risperidone) should not be offered by non-specialized health care providersto treat Disruptive Behaviour Disorders (DBD), Conduct Disorder (CD),Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and comorbid Attention-DeficitHyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). For these conditions, the patients should bereferred to specialist before prescribing any medicines.Strength of recommendation: STRONGQuality of evidence: LOW• Antidepressants (Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA), Selective serotonin reuptakeinhibitors (SSRI)) should not be used for the treatment of children under 12 yearsof age with depressive episode/disorder in non-specialist settings.Strength of recommendation: STRONGQuality of evidence: LOW• Pharmacological interventions should not be considered in children andadolescents with anxiety disorders in non-specialist settings.Strength of recommendation: CONDITIONALQuality of evidence: LOW