Evidence-based treatments in child and adolescent psychiatry: an inventory

To provide a list of evidence-based psychopharmacology and psychotherapy treatments for child psychiatry.

Published reviews and Medline searches were examined to generate a list of treatments supported by randomized controlled trials.

For psychopharmacology, the best evidence to date supports the use of stimulant medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for obsessive-compulsive disorder. There is also reasonable evidence addressing SSRIs for anxiety disorders and moderate to severe major depressive disorder, and risperidone for autism. The psychosocial interventions best supported by well-designed studies are cognitive-behavioral and behavioral interventions, especially for mood, anxiety, and behavioral disorders. Family-based and systems of care interventions also have been found effective.

Although the number of evidence-based treatments for child psychiatry is growing, much of clinical practice remains based on the adult literature and traditional models of care. Challenges toward adopting evidence-based practices are discussed.