Pharmacological Adjuncts

Abstract:

Clinical psychologists provide services to children and adolescents who are often on psychoactive medication for psychiatric or neurological disorders, or for challenging behaviors that have not been amenable to psychosocial treatments alone. Regardless of whether clinical psychologists aim to prescribe pharmacological adjuncts or to refer children and adolescents to child psychiatrists for adjunctive pharmacological treatment, it behooves them to have basic competencies in psychopharmacology. The basic competencies that clinical psychologists should know well and utilize in their practice include recognition and assessment of symptoms, developmental course of childhood disorders, protective and risk factors, maintenance factors, principles and practice of evidence-based treatment approaches, cost-effectiveness of various treatments, drug algorithms, and mechanisms of change underlying psychopharmacological interventions. The APA Board of Educational