Participation of children and adolescents in child and adolescent psychiatry

Parents and children have a right to be involved in all decisions affecting their health care. Thus, the development and application of concepts which are based on close interaction between medical staff and the patient are needed. The shared decision-making model is based on shared information and equal decision-making, e.g., with respect to diagnosis and therapy. At the University Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Salzburg, a participation concept was developed, consisting of a structured sequence of conversations between the patient and the attending medical personnel as well as a clinic conference, which allows active and democratic participation of all occupational groups represented at the clinic.