5.1.7 Evidence Based Interventions

5.1.7 Evidence Based Interventions

Evidence Based Interventions Child Mental Health and Developmental Conditions (as defined in ICD and DSM) and the Care Pathways that Enable Access to Those Interventions

Child mental health and developmental conditions are increasingly recognized as important public health concerns, given their high prevalence and potential long-term impact on individuals and society. Fortunately, there are evidence-based interventions available for these conditions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, parent training, social skills training, and medication. Access to these interventions is facilitated through a range of care pathways in the UK, including primary care, specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), education settings, and voluntary sector and community services. This section will discuss these evidence-based interventions for child mental health and developmental conditions, as well as the UK care pathways that enable access to them.

Evidence-Based Interventions: There are several evidence-based interventions for child mental health and developmental conditions. These include:

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT):

This is a talking therapy that focuses on identifying and changing negative thoughts and behaviors. CBT has been shown to be effective for a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (Weisz et al., 2017).

Parent Training:

This involves teaching parents how to manage their child’s behavior and improve their parent-child relationship. Parent training has been shown to be effective for a range of conditions, including ADHD, conduct disorder, and anxiety (Chronis-Tuscano et al., 2013).

Social Skills Training:

This involves teaching children social skills such as communication and problem-solving. Social skills training has been shown to be effective for conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD (Reichow et al., 2012).

Medication:

In some cases, medication may be used to treat mental health and developmental conditions. For example, stimulant medication may be used to treat ADHD, while selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be used to treat depression and anxiety (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2018).

UK Care Pathways: In the UK, there are several care pathways that enable access to evidence-based interventions for child mental health and developmental conditions. These include:

Primary Care:

This includes services provided by GPs, practice nurses, and other primary care staff. In many cases, children and their families will first present to primary care services with concerns about their mental health or development. Primary care staff can provide initial assessments, referrals, and support for milder conditions.

Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS):

CAMHS provide assessment and treatment for more complex mental health and developmental conditions. This includes evidence-based interventions such as CBT, parent training, and social skills training.

Education Settings:

Schools and other education settings can play an important role in identifying and supporting children with mental health and developmental conditions. This may include providing access to specialist CAMHS services or delivering interventions such as social skills training or cognitive-behavioral interventions in school settings.

Voluntary Sector and Community Services:

There are a range of voluntary sector and community services that can provide support for children and families with mental health and developmental conditions. These may include parent support groups, youth clubs, and mentoring services.

Summarizing Evidence-Based Interventions and UK Care Pathways:

InterventionConditionUK Care Pathway
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)Anxiety, depression, OCDCAMHS, primary care
Parent trainingADHD, conduct disorder, anxietyCAMHS, primary care
Social skills trainingASD, ADHDCAMHS, education settings
MedicationADHD, depression, anxietyCAMHS, primary care

References:

  1. Chronis-Tuscano, A., et al. (2013). Comparing the effectiveness of parent-only and family-based interventions for oppositional defiant disorder in children: A meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 52(12), 1274-1284.
  2. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2018). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management. Retrieved from https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87
  3. Reichow, B., Steiner, A. M., & Volkmar, F. (2012). Social skills groups for people aged 6 to 21 with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 7(7), CD008511.
  4. Weisz, J. R., Kuppens, S., Ng, M. Y., Eckshtain, D., Ugueto, A. M., Vaughn-Coaxum, R., & Jensen-Doss, A. (2017). What five decades of research tells us about the effects of youth psychological therapy: A multilevel meta-analysis and implications for science and practice. American Psychologist, 72(2), 79–117.