Evidence-based treatment for mental disorders in children and adolescents.

In the past decade, increased emphasis has been placed on identifying treatments for childhood disorders that are supported by empirical evidence of their effectiveness. This process was spearheaded by an American Psychological Association division 12 task force that identified evidence-based treatments--mostly for disorders of adulthood. Because of the publication of the task force results, other studies have been published that contribute to the knowledge base of evidence-based treatment, and these studies are briefly reviewed. Across evidence-based treatments, common features of effective treatments, such as parent involvement, use of a treatment manual, and the emphasis on generalization of treatment effects to natural settings, are also identified and reviewed.Introduction