18 November 2019

Assessing the quality of care for paediatric depression and anxiety in Australia: A population-based sample survey

This research evaluated the quality of care for Australian paediatric patients with depression and/or anxiety. The study found that children with depression or anxiety received appropriate care an average of 72% and 81% of the time, respectively. The highest levels of adherence were for medication prescription guidelines, while the lowest related to guidelines ensuring patients with depression had an emergency safety plan; informing parents of the risks and benefits of prescribed anxiety medication; and ensuring other possible causes for mental health symptoms had been assessed. The levels of compliance with the guidelines were lower for general practices than for other healthcare settings.