Bibliographic information

GuidelineMental Health Gap Action Programme (‎mhGAP)‎ guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders, [‎3rd ed.]‎.
Year of Publication2023
Issuing InstitutionWorld Health Organization

Recommendation

New

Pharmacological interventions are not recommended in children and adolescents with anxiety disorders

Recommended against

Strong

Notes and Remarks

Remarks y Diagnosis of anxiety in children can be influenced by the cultural context and requires a comprehensive assessment of determinants at a family level and in the environment to reduce risks of overmedicalization.

Implementation considerations y Access to psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioural interventions and caregiver skills training, in line with other mhGAP recommendations, remains important for children with anxiety disorders and their caregivers.