On June 9, 2004, the task force of experts and stakeholders, established in 2003 by NAMI’s Policy Research Institute (NPRI), released a report addressing issues related to the use of psychotropic medications for children and adolescents.
The prevalence of mental illnesses in children and adolescents is significant and on the rise. About 1 in 10 children in the U.S. suffers from a mental illness severe enough to cause impairment. Research shows that reaching children with mental illnesses early with appropriate treatment significantly improves their long-term prognosis. Conversely, the failure to provide treatment has tragic consequences.
The report comes at a time when the U.S. Surgeon General has warned that one in ten children or teenagers struggle with mental illnesses, but 80 percent never get the help they need. At the same time, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) currently is reviewing the safety and effectiveness of using some psychiatric medicines with children. Questions also have arisen in other contexts, such as the role of schools in helping to identify early warning signs of mental illness.
After careful deliberations, the task force developed the following four recommendations to guide policy, legislation and research:
- The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) must make children a priority and increase investment in scientific research focused both on the early onset of mental illnesses and long-term studies of the use of psychotropic medications in children.
- One size does not fit all in treating mental illnesses. Individual treatment decisions must be based on the best information available as part of an evidence-based intervention (EBI) system. That includes full disclosure or “transparency” of existing clinical research studies.
- Broad education is needed about early warning signs of mental illness in children. Parents must be supported by physicians and other child-serving professionals in making decisions on the use of psychotropic medications through informed consent, based on a careful weighing of risks and anticipated benefits. Use by children must be closely monitored and frequently evaluated.
- Policymakers—whether in Congress or local school boards—should be guided by the medical principle of “First, do no harm.” They should not interfere with rights of access to treatment or communication between parents, physicians, schools, and other potential support partners. Legislative or regulatory actions must be guided by sound scientific research and testimony from well-qualified medical and mental health professionals and families.
You can read and download the entire report in Adobe PDF format from the NAMI Newsroom.
