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Pharmacotherapy of School Refusal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2014

Bruce J. Tonge
Bruce J. Tonge*
Affiliation:
Monash University
*
Centre for Developmental Psychiatry, Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton VIC 3168, Australia
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Extract

This paper reviews the role and indications for pharmacotherapy of children with school refusal. The psychopharmacological treatment of school refusal is based mainly on evidence of the effectiveness of certain drugs in the treatment of adult disorders. There is some evidence that tricyclic antidepressants and benzobiazepines may be specifically useful in the treatment of school refusal, but further research is warranted. Potentially serious side effects mean that drugs are best confined to cases where psychological treatments have not been effective or where drugs are used briefly as an adjunct to a broader psychological treatment plan. Drugs may also have a role in the specific treatment of comorbid conditions associated with school refusal. Any use of drugs should involve regular reviews to monitor response, compliance, and side effects.

Type
Research Article
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 15 , Issue 2 , June 1998 , pp. 98 - 106
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 1998

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