# Common pitfalls, and how to avoid them, in child and adolescent psychopharmacology: Part I

## TL;DR

This paper outlines common mistakes in treating mental health disorders in children and adolescents with medication and suggests ways to avoid them.

## Contribution

The paper identifies and provides solutions for common pitfalls in psychopharmacology for specific childhood and adolescent disorders.

## Key findings

- The paper highlights common pitfalls in treating ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other conditions in children.
- It offers practical guidance on avoiding these pitfalls in clinical practice.
- A follow-up paper will address pitfalls in treating other disorders.

## Abstract

As Faculty of the British Association for Psychopharmacology course on child and adolescent psychopharmacology, we present here what we deem are the most common pitfalls, and how to avoid them, in child and adolescent psychopharmacology. In this paper, we specifically addressed common pitfalls in the pharmacological treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders, and tic disorder. Pitfalls in the treatment of other disorders are addressed in a separate paper (part II).