Can parents refuse mental health treatment for their child?

Regarding minors’ rights to seek their own outpatient mental health treatment, relatively little legal clarification is available. Most states do not recognize the right of the adolescent under the age of 16 or 18 to refuse the parents’ wishes to place him or her in treat- ment.

Should children with mental disorders be medicated?

But it’s important to remember that untreated mental illness can also harm brain development. Early medication can help prevent the illness from getting worse or becoming neurally entrenched.

Can parents refuse antidepressants?

In most states, teens under 18 require a parent’s permission to receive treatment for depression. There are some exceptions, but in most cases, a child cannot get treatment on their own.

Can children take psychotropic medication?

Many children now take medications for attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Also, psychotropic medications may be prescribed for children who have autism, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, and other mental health conditions.

Why is medication important in mental health?

Researchers believe that the symptoms of mental illness come from chemical imbalances in a person’s brain. A medication works on these imbalances to reduce your symptoms, or sometimes, to relieve them completely.

What happens if a bipolar person doesn’t take medication?

“Around half of people with bipolar disorder don’t take their medication which can lead to a relapse of symptoms. And this can have a knock-on impact with problems at work, strained relationships with family and friends, hospitalisation, and an increased risk of suicide.

What happens when a bipolar person stops taking their meds?

If you decide to stop treatment on your own, or skip your medication, the recurrence of manic and depressive symptoms in the next episodes may be more difficult to prevent and manage. Your condition may take a downward spin, meaning the frequency and intensity of the episodes may increase throughout life.

Can schizophrenics be forced to take medication?

Many such patients must ultimately be medicated involuntarily. Studies suggest that the long-term effects of involuntary medication on individuals with schizophrenia and manic-depressive illness (bipolar disorder) are more positive than is commonly thought.

Can my parents force me to take medication?

If you’re under 18, your parents can legally bring you to treatment, whether it’s a teen substance abuse treatment center, mental health treatment center, dual diagnosis treatment center, or detox facility. Even if you refuse to get into the car, they’re allowed to physically carry you to treatment.

Can a parent refuse to allow their child to be medicated?

A person has a constitutional right to refuse medication and other forms of medical treatment, and that includes the right of parents to refuse to allow that their children be medicated. For an adult, the right derives from the concept of ‘substantive due process’ as well as constitutional protections of privacy.

Should parents be concerned about medications prescribed for ADHD?

Medicines prescribed for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders — known as psychotropic drugs — have largely been studied in adults. This concerns many parents whose children take these drugs regularly.

What happens if a parent doesn’t get treatment for a child?

Teenage depression: If a parent doesn’t get treatment for a child, is that abuse? A UF psychiatry professor discusses the deadliest illness facing children, which often goes undiagnosed because parents don’t want their children to be treated. Teenage depression is a serious and lonely illness, sometimes leading to suicide. fizkes/Shutterstock.com

Should I let my child take psychotropic medications?

Depending on the patient’s unique circumstances, diagnosis, and needs, there are good reasons for being hesitant to permit psychotropic medications. For example, most SSRI and SSNI anti-depressant medications have “black box” warnings that they can create suicidal thoughts or behaviors in kids younger than 18 (and in some cases, younger than 24).