The objective of this study was to assess first through third year pediatric medical residents' confidence levels surrounding first-line pharmacotherapy for common mental health conditions in the pediatric patient population and identify areas of need in resident education initiatives. From April 2024 through June 2024, 68 pediatric medical residents participating in a pediatric residency program at an academic tertiary medical center were invited to complete a self-assessment questionnaire. Residents rated their confidence in developing a treatment plan, prescribing, and counseling on medications for pediatric mental health conditions, general physical health conditions, and pharmacotherapy using a 5-point Likert scale. A total of 28 pediatric medical residents (41% response rate), ranging from postgraduate year 1 to year 3, completed the survey. Compared with physical health conditions, pediatric mental health conditions were associated with lower confidence scores in medical residents in the areas of developing a treatment plan (mean 3.31 vs 4.28, p < 0.001), prescribing medication (mean 2.77 vs 4.02, p<0.001), and counseling on medication side effects (mean 2.94 vs 4.01, p < 0.001). This study highlights significant gaps in medical residents' confidence in managing pediatric mental health pharmacotherapy compared with physical health conditions within a single institution's residency program.
Summerlin et al. (Wed,) studied this question.