comparing counseling to medication therapy age 7 to 12

Comparing Counseling to Medication Therapy Age 7 To 12
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Abstract
Counseling therapy and medication therapy are two main mechanisms that clinicians use to deal with mental and psychological issues among children. The current study seeks to determine which of the two mechanisms is ideal for children between the ages of 7 and 12 years. Previous research indicates that counseling psychology is more effective in handling psychological issues in children because it ensures that the children develop coping mechanisms at a young age, which helps them to survive better in the world. The study analyzed five previous studies to determine the thoughts that various scholars have on the mater and to analyze the available evidence based practice. The five studies unanimously agree that both mechanisms are equally important but counseling therapy offers long-lasting solutions to depression and other psychological issues. As such, medication therapy can be used in the presence of counseling psychology, but the use of medical therapy singularly leads to relapse.

Comparing Counseling to Medication Therapy Age 7 To 12
Literature Review Summary Table
Studies/Variables Type of Study Design and framework Variables Concepts and Main Points
Hunsley, J., Elliot, K. & Therrien, Z. (2013). Mixed method: qualitative and quantitative Systematic review
-to analyze the effectiveness of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy by analyzing previous studies Independent variable-method of treatment (counseling or medication)
Dependent variable- recovery or healing process of the patient Pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, relapse of the patients, complete recovery of the patients
Counseling works for both severe and mild mental illnesses
Counseling and medication therapy can e used for specific conditions for better results
Counseling and medication therapy are equally effective
Counseling therapy is better in the prevision of setback
Counseling therapy is important because it ensures reduced illness burden, allows the patient to cope better with the situation, encourages treatment observance, and lowers the rates of suicide among people of all ages
Counseling therapy assists patients with coronary issues
Counseling is a preferable first line treatment for people with psychological and mental disorders
Homeyer, L.

& Morrison, M. (2008). Quantitative study that focuses on a fixed approach Systematic review of the previous studies
The framework of the study is to expound on the theory that play enhances development of the child and offers therapeutic benefits Independent variable- Play therapy
Dependent variable-mental stability of the child Concepts: play therapy, children coping mechanisms, cognitive skill development, therapeutic benefits, history of play therapy, the importance of trained personnel
Play therapy allows children to get in touch with their inner selves
Play therapy ensures that the inner issues are discovered thus preventing the therapists from treating only symptoms
Role playing helps the child to develop empathy towards other people which is necessary for coping with depression in the future by avoiding unnecessary conflicts
Children are able to show creativity and emotional needs through their hands and actions
A trained personnel must monitor the play to understand the interpersonal issues
A trained individual ca discover the extremes and limits that the child is willing to go thus coming u with an idea treatment
Play therapy has been used historically as a psychological treatment practice for children and adolescents with psychological disorders
The effectiveness of play therapy is indisputable
Derubeis, R., Siegel, G. & Hollon, S. (2008). Mixed research method (qualitative and quantitative) A cross-sectional study
-the framework of the study is based on the increased rates of depression in the united states Independent variable-medication or counseling therapy
Dependent variables-neural mechanism, the recovery of the patients Concepts: cognitive therapy, medication approach to depression, outcomes, antidepressants, outcomes and neural mechanisms
Counseling therapy works as effective as medication therapy in handling mental illnesses
Counseling therapy is better in ensuring that the condition does not recur after the completion of the treatment
The medication and counseling therapy affect neural mechanisms that are similar as well as those that are distinctive based on each treatment method
Although effective, medication therapy only treats symptoms and thus cannot be used before the condition reaches a certain point
Psychological treatments can be used even when signs of the depression are not shown.
Hofmann, S. (2012). Qualitative research A meta-analysis
The research framework is founded on the idea that Cognitive Behavior therapy is the most effective mode of treatment for depression and other mental health complications Independent variable-Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)
Dependent variable-efficacy if the treatment Concepts: efficacy of CBT, relationship between CBT and other psychological treatment methods
CBT is an effective treatment for various if not all mental health issues
The treatment mechanism is effective for young children and adolescents because it enhances coping mechanism
The treatment mechanism offer long term solutions to psychological issues
It is more effective than medication therapy
CBT offers long term solutions to metal illnesses and reduces chances of relapse
CBT uses a collaborative approach where the patient participates in the search for the solution
More research is required to determine the efficacy of the treatment mechanism
Qin, B. (2015) Mixed research method A meta-analysis
Framework: psychotherapy offers long lasting solutions to metal health issues among the children Independent variable-psychotherapy treatment
Dependent variables-recovery process, and the effectiveness of the treatment Concepts: efficacy of psychotherapy among the children, quality of life after treatment, acceptability of the practice, and tolerability.
Counseling therapy is widely accepted as the solution to mental health issues among the children.
It equips the child with skills to cope with similar situation in the future
Counseling eliminates the negative issues associated with metal health and psychological issues
Psychotherapy helps to improve the quality of life of the child
Studies on the use of counseling therapy and medical therapy indicate that the use of counseling therapy is very important because it ensures that once the healing is achieved it cannot be outdone as it is with medication therapy. The studies agree that medical therapy is important in some cases, especially when the depression state has reached the tipping point (Qin, 2015). In such a situation, medication is given to sober up the patient and to allow for normal functioning. Although this practice is necessary for adults, it might not be as important for young people and mostly children between the ages of seven and twelve years because children do not have many responsibilities. Counseling therapy helps in the development of cognitive skills and allows the child to learn how to deal with difficult situations hence the best treatment mechanism (Hofmann, 2012). Moreover, counseling therapy offers long-term solutions to psychological and mental issues as opposed to the short-term solutions offered by medication therapy. The combination of both treatment mechanisms is necessary at times, but the use of medication therapy alone is not advisable.
The evidence from previous studies seems consistent with the notion that psychotherapy is superior to pharmacotherapy for various reasons. Research indicates that children who are pout on anti-depressants end up committing suicide or developing behavioral issues at later stages in life (Homeyer & Morrison, 2008). The finding is an indication that medical therapy alone cannot offer the much-needed solution in today’s world where depression and other psychological health problems are among the most disturbing health issues (Derubeis, Siegle & Hollon, 2008). The lack of contradictions in the study is influenced by the fact that psychotherapy has been an effective treatment for psychological issues for a long time and although medical therapy has been introduced in the industry, it does not offer a viable solution. All studies agree that medical therapy can be used in conjunction with counseling therapy but not alone (Hunsley, Elliot, Therrien, 2013). The evidence provided in these studies is string enough to recommend the use of counseling therapy for children between the ages of 7 and 12 years, but there is need for more research to determine which of the psychological treatments is effective for children.

References
DeRubeis, R., Siegle, G. & Hollon, S. (2008). Cognitive therapy vs. medications for depression: Treatment outcomes and neural mechanisms. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience, 9 (10), 788–796.
Hofmann, S. (2012). The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36 (5), 427–440.
Homeyer, L. & Morrison, M. (2008). Play therapy: practice, issues, and trends. Journal of play, 1 (2), 211-228.
Hunsley, J., Elliot, K. & Therrien, Z. (2013). The efficacy and effectiveness of psychological treatments. The Canadian psychology association, 1-29.
Qin, B. (2015). Psychotherapy for depression in children and adolescents: study protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis. BMJ, 5 (2), 65-70.