Table 1 Content areas for child/youth mental health training
Topic | Brief interventions |
|---|---|
Patient–provider interaction | Engaging patients in conversation, attentive listening, eliciting an agenda, empathy, giving advice, decision support, interacting with child and parent |
Children with problematic behavior | Assessing possible causes (anxiety, depression, trauma, developmental delay or school problems, attention problems), general parenting advice, help with schoolwork, psychoeducation for families about children with delays, linking to community resources for children with developmental delays, appropriate medication use |
Depression (child and/or parent) | Psychoeducation, behavioral activation, exploration of contributing stresses, exploration of suicidal ideation, safety for suicidal patients, medications for older adolescents and parents |
Anxiety | Psychoeducation, active coping (role models, supported exposure, relaxation), support and response to maladaptive cognitions following trauma, exploration of contributing stresses, indications for medication |
Substance use | Recognition of harmful use of tobacco, alcohol, and inhalants. Brief counseling regarding cessation |
Intellectual disability and learning disorders | Methods of detection, behavioral and pharmacological management of associated behavior and mood problems |
Urgent issues | Thought problems, suicidality, intentional harm to children or risk of harm to others |
Parenting and typical developmental issues | [in addition to behavioral topics above] sleep, toileting [including enuresis and encopresis], masturbation |