How is a pediatrician expected to "treat" a depressed adolescent?

[Anonymous]

Hit-N-Miss barrage of drugs? Now that the government is "encouraging" pediatricians/family health practitioners to screen adolescents for depression, how can they treat it, other than drugs?

Sounds like Big Pharma is in Big Control of your kid's mental health. Beware.

Get a good therapist first.

[Anonymous]

They could treat it by referring the child to a therapist and a psychologist for further evaluation/treatment. The pediatrician is the best person to do the screening because they're the only health professional most kids see on a consistent basis. Who else is going to do it, if the parents either don't know what to look for or are in denial?

[Anonymous]

I think the main objective for the pediatrician (or really any PCP) it to detect the depression in the first place. Then, referral to a therapist and/or prescription for an anti-depressant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They could treat it by referring the child to a therapist and a psychologist for further evaluation/treatment. The pediatrician is the best person to do the screening because they're the only health professional most kids see on a consistent basis. Who else is going to do it, if the parents either don't know what to look for or are in denial?

The WTOP news report says pediatricians are expected to actually "treat" the depression themselves, OR they may make a referral.

I don't think kids should be put on these powerful drugs unless they are also getting counseling. Why is that even legal??

[Anonymous]

My pediatrician does not prescribe psychiatric drugs and referred us to a psychiatrist when our DC needed help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could treat it by referring the child to a therapist and a psychologist for further evaluation/treatment. The pediatrician is the best person to do the screening because they're the only health professional most kids see on a consistent basis. Who else is going to do it, if the parents either don't know what to look for or are in denial?

The WTOP news report says pediatricians are expected to actually "treat" the depression themselves, OR they may make a referral.

I don't think kids should be put on these powerful drugs unless they are also getting counseling. Why is that even legal??

Are you a psychiatrist/psychopharmacologist? If not, how could you possibly begin to know whether this would or would not be appropriate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could treat it by referring the child to a therapist and a psychologist for further evaluation/treatment. The pediatrician is the best person to do the screening because they're the only health professional most kids see on a consistent basis. Who else is going to do it, if the parents either don't know what to look for or are in denial?

The WTOP news report says pediatricians are expected to actually "treat" the depression themselves, OR they may make a referral.

I don't think kids should be put on these powerful drugs unless they are also getting counseling. Why is that even legal??

Are you a psychiatrist/psychopharmacologist? If not, how could you possibly begin to know whether this would or would not be appropriate?

Seeing how often they're wrong, what's one more opinion? It's not like they know what they're doing... Um, let's try a little of this drug. What? Not working? How about this one? If that doesn't work, there's lots more to try.

You think that's science? I don't.

[Anonymous]

What percentage of US kids are on these drugs vs other countries' kids compared to their percentage of the world's population?

I bet the number is shockingly and very unnecessarily high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What percentage of US kids are on these drugs vs other countries' kids compared to their percentage of the world's population?

I bet the number is shockingly and very unnecessarily high.

You are just full of guesses and assumptions aren't you? Maybe you could come back when you have data?

[Anonymous]

OP, you don't even understand what the article said. Stop trying to push an agenda.