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This chapter discusses psychopharmacological treatment for children's emotional and psychiatric disorders. It considers approaches to the selection of pharmacological agents. It then reviews the current state of psychopharmacological treatment with children and adolescents, focusing on pharmacological agents for the treatment of established psychiatric diagnoses and psychopharmacological agents selected to control or treat behaviors experienced by the child regardless of the presence of a clear diagnosis.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / Community violence and substance abuse are equally omnipresent social problems that are characteristic of South African communities. The pervasive nature of these social ills is evident in the astonishingly high prevalence rates in South Africa, where substance-related violence affects the lives of many, especially youth, due to its deleterious effects. The aim of the study was to explore adolescents' perceptions of substance abuse as a contributing factor to community violence using Goldstein’s tripartite conceptual framework of substance abuse and violence. A qualitative methodological framework was employed. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants, 16 grade ten learners (male and female) attending a high school within an impoverished Cape Flats community. Two focus groups with eight participants each were conducted. Theoretical thematic analysis was used to analyse and interpret information. Four thematic categories were identified from the data namely: adolescents’ perspective on the dynamics of community violence, perceptions of the psychopharmacological influence of substances and violent tendencies, satisfying their needs: substance abusers’ criminality, and substance distribution and violent patterns of interaction and trade. The findings indicate that substance intoxication induces changes in behaviour and psychological processes, making individuals aggressive and violent. Participants believed that substance abusers frequently commit property and violent interpersonal crimes such as theft, robbery, assault, murder and prostitution to obtain substances. Substance distribution was linked to gang violence as a profession for gang members. Furthermore, findings show that systemic violence stems primarily from gang involvement as well as sharing the markets in the substance industry, resulting in rivalry for territory and clients. The current study broadens our understanding of ‘substance abuse-violence’ nexus by providing qualitative information on Goldstein’s (1985) tripartite ii conceptual framework in a South African context. As such, the findings could inform prevention and intervention strategies for both violence exposure and substance abuse. It is especially important because it explores the different dimensions of substance-related violence perceived by a group of adolescents within a Cape Flats community.

La recherche en santé mentale reconnaît plusieurs habiletés aux travailleurs sociaux. Cependant, lorsqu’il est question de médication, élément central du plan de traitement en santé mentale, on constate que l’on attribue surtout aux travailleurs sociaux le rôle de veiller à l’observance de ce traitement. Pourtant, la recherche scientifique montre que prendre des médicaments est une expérience complexe et comporte des impacts psychosociaux. Pour les intervenants sociaux, ce contexte constitue une opportunité d’explorer avec les personnes qu’ils accompagnent, les différentes facettes de cette expérience. Cette opportunité n’est pas seulement remarquée par les professionnels mais aussi par des voix de la marge, celles de personnes qui ont vécu un problème de santé mentale et qui ont vu la médication entrer dans leur vie. C’est à partir de cette perspective que l’approche de la Gestion autonome de la médication (GAM) a été élaborée et permet de considérer les dimensions expérientielles et psychosociales de la prise de médicaments. La GAM propose, par des pratiques d’accompagnement individuel ou de groupe, de soutenir l’usager pour qu’il puisse porter un regard critique sur sa médication, s’assurer que celle-ci soit bien au service de sa qualité de vie et apporter des changements en conséquence. Cette étude réalisée auprès de 19 intervenants sociaux ayant participé à une formation sur la GAM, s’intéresse à leurs pratiques en lien avec la médication psychiatrique et à l’accueil qu’ils ont réservé à la GAM. Un état des connaissances par rapport à l’intervention sociale et la médication y est présenté ainsi qu’une description détaillée de la GAM. Des conclusions sont tirées sur la formation GAM et sur la formation des travailleurs sociaux. / Mental health research recognizes several skills in social workers. However, when it comes to medication—fundamental element of the mental health treatment plan—one notes that social workers are mainly attributed the role of seeing to the patient’s acceptance of the treatment. And yet, scientific research shows that taking medication is a complex experience which entails psychosocial impacts. This context then presents an opportunity for social workers to explore the different facets of this experience with the people they accompany. This opportunity is not only put forth by professionals, but also by voices from the margins, those of people who have lived through a mental health problem and dealt with medication becoming a part of their lives. It is from this perspective that the Gestion autonome de la medication (GAM) approach allows to consider the experiential and psychosocial dimensions of medication-taking. Through individual intervention or group meetings, the GAM offers support to individuals taking medication in order to help them have a critical look on their medication and to furthermore ensure that the medication consumed is in the best interest of their quality of life. This study was conducted on 19 workers in the field of social intervention, who had participated in the GAM training. The goal was to learn more about their respective practices in relation to psychiatric medication as well as how the GAM has been received by them. A literature review on social intervention and medication is introduced, as well as a detailed description of the GAM. Conclusions will be elaborated on the GAM training and the professional training of social workers.

La recherche en santé mentale reconnaît plusieurs habiletés aux travailleurs sociaux. Cependant, lorsqu’il est question de médication, élément central du plan de traitement en santé mentale, on constate que l’on attribue surtout aux travailleurs sociaux le rôle de veiller à l’observance de ce traitement. Pourtant, la recherche scientifique montre que prendre des médicaments est une expérience complexe et comporte des impacts psychosociaux. Pour les intervenants sociaux, ce contexte constitue une opportunité d’explorer avec les personnes qu’ils accompagnent, les différentes facettes de cette expérience. Cette opportunité n’est pas seulement remarquée par les professionnels mais aussi par des voix de la marge, celles de personnes qui ont vécu un problème de santé mentale et qui ont vu la médication entrer dans leur vie. C’est à partir de cette perspective que l’approche de la Gestion autonome de la médication (GAM) a été élaborée et permet de considérer les dimensions expérientielles et psychosociales de la prise de médicaments. La GAM propose, par des pratiques d’accompagnement individuel ou de groupe, de soutenir l’usager pour qu’il puisse porter un regard critique sur sa médication, s’assurer que celle-ci soit bien au service de sa qualité de vie et apporter des changements en conséquence. Cette étude réalisée auprès de 19 intervenants sociaux ayant participé à une formation sur la GAM, s’intéresse à leurs pratiques en lien avec la médication psychiatrique et à l’accueil qu’ils ont réservé à la GAM. Un état des connaissances par rapport à l’intervention sociale et la médication y est présenté ainsi qu’une description détaillée de la GAM. Des conclusions sont tirées sur la formation GAM et sur la formation des travailleurs sociaux. / Mental health research recognizes several skills in social workers. However, when it comes to medication—fundamental element of the mental health treatment plan—one notes that social workers are mainly attributed the role of seeing to the patient’s acceptance of the treatment. And yet, scientific research shows that taking medication is a complex experience which entails psychosocial impacts. This context then presents an opportunity for social workers to explore the different facets of this experience with the people they accompany. This opportunity is not only put forth by professionals, but also by voices from the margins, those of people who have lived through a mental health problem and dealt with medication becoming a part of their lives. It is from this perspective that the Gestion autonome de la medication (GAM) approach allows to consider the experiential and psychosocial dimensions of medication-taking. Through individual intervention or group meetings, the GAM offers support to individuals taking medication in order to help them have a critical look on their medication and to furthermore ensure that the medication consumed is in the best interest of their quality of life. This study was conducted on 19 workers in the field of social intervention, who had participated in the GAM training. The goal was to learn more about their respective practices in relation to psychiatric medication as well as how the GAM has been received by them. A literature review on social intervention and medication is introduced, as well as a detailed description of the GAM. Conclusions will be elaborated on the GAM training and the professional training of social workers.