A U.S. study shows pediatricians are diagnosing and treating more children with behavioral health problems, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
The study from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center involved interviews with community pediatricians who estimated an average of about 15 percent of the children they see have behavioral health problems, said Jane Williams, lead author.
ADHD is the most common behavioral health disorder seen by pediatricians, and the pediatricians “expressed a high level of comfort with the diagnosis and frequently or occasionally prescribed stimulants” to treat it, the study said.
Many pediatricians, however, felt they were not prepared during medical school and their residency training programs to treat children with anxiety or depression, leading to a scramble to find continuing medical education courses to fill that gap.