Clinical Aspects of Psychopharmacology in Childhood and Adolescence

A large proportion of children and youth have mental health problems that follow different trajectories over time. Adolescence is a period in which latent mental problems emerge, with as many as one third of adolescents presenting with complaints significant enough to warrant a visit to the doctor. Since the mid-1950s, a considerable number of psychoactive medications have been developed, with primarily adults with mental health disorders being the main focus. Only a proportion of these drugs were subsequently studied in children and adolescents in well-designed, controlled trials with a sufficiently long-term follow-up. This means that the treatment decision of the prescribing physician carries a unique burden of personal responsibility. This book presents the psychopharmacologic agents that are available for children and adolescents, as well as the side effects, drug interactions, and the indicated monitoring parameters of these medications.