Special Considerations Related to Prescribing for Children and Adolescents

Assignment #1: Prescribing for Children and Adolescents (Due Date: June 15 at 10:59 PM CST)

Your instructor will assign you a specific disorder to research.  Your assigned disorder is Mood Disorders (you may choose a Depressive Disorder or Bipolar Disorder).

Your task is to:

• Recommend one FDA-approved drug, one off-label drug, and one nonpharmacological intervention for treating the disorder in children and adolescents.
• Explain the risk assessment you would use to inform your treatment decision-making.
• Discuss the risks and benefits of both the FDA-approved medication and the off-label drug.
• Explain whether clinical practice guidelines exist for this disorder, and if so, use them to justify your recommendations. If guidelines are unavailable, outline the considerations necessary for clinical decision-making.
• Support your reasoning with at least three scholarly resources, including one for each treatment recommendation (FDA-approved drug, off-label drug, and non-medication intervention). Attach PDFs of your sources for reference.