Parents’ Medication Guides

“The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) have developed Parents’ Medication Guides to help individuals make informed decisions about treating mental disorders in children and adolescents.”  Roger Brown, M.D., a child psychiatrist based in Nairobi for 28 years, recommends parents refer to these guides as a starting point for their learning more about these common struggles and issues children face and then discussing questions with their child’s doctor or counsellor.

Each guide discusses the causes and symptoms, how they are diagnosed & treated, medication information, psychosocial treatments, other and/or unproven treatments, how parents can help their child, and links to other resources.

The actual website is https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_Youth/Parents_Medication_Guides/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Family_Resources/Parents_Medication_Guides.aspx?hkey=c5ad9d72-b5db-4994-b3ab-96fe5350439a.   Many of the guides are also in Spanish. The following are examples of guides in English that can be downloaded directly. Look in your download folder for viewing the downloaded PDF guides:

• ADHD: Parent’s Medication Guide

  1. Anxiety Disorders: Parents’ Medication Guide (This guide also includes information about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

  2. Autism Spectrum Disorder: Parents’ Medication Guide

  3. Depression: Parent’s Medication Guide

  4. Impairing Emotional Outbursts: Parents’ Medication Guide

  5. Sleep Disorders: Parents’ Medication Guide