Management of depression in children and young people with moderate to severe depression

A treatment flowchart based on the NICE guidelines

This flowchart is a summary of information from the Depression in children and young people: Identification and management [CG28] clinical practice guideline developed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom. The guidance has been adapted for use in Canadian settings by a team from the Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.

After a systematic review and quality appraisal to identify and evaluate all available CPGs for youth depression, the NICE guideline was found to be the best, most trust-worthy, evidence-based guideline. The review, published in Depression and Anxiety (April, 2018), was conducted by Dr. Kathryn Bennett, Dr. Darren Courtney, Stephanie Duda, Dr. Joanna Henderson and Dr. Peter Szatmari at the Cundill Centre.

The flowchart is meant to guide nurses, paediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists and other members of interprofessional health care teams in making treatment decisions.

It is meant to be used in clinical settings, such as hospitals (including outpatient and in-patient settings), community mental health services, primary care and mental health centres, as well as in other settings where mental health treatment decisions for children and youth are made.

Download the flowchart

Note that the flowchart has not been reviewed by NICE.