[Self-assessment of prescribing behavior of psychotropic drugs for children and adolescence. Results of a survey of established physicians].

All registered general practitioners, pediatricians, and neuropsychiatrists of lower franconia were asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding the ratio of 0-20 year old patients with psychiatric symptoms and their prescribing methods of psychopharmaca. Neuropsychiatrists treated less children and adolescents with psychiatric symptoms than pediatricians or general practitioners. Approximately 50% of the patients with psychiatric symptoms received psychopharmaca. The most frequently prescribed psychopharmaca were neuroleptics and antidepressants, followed by phytopharmaca with various ingredients, which were most frequently prescribed by general practitioners. The average duration of a psychopharmacotherapy was 9 weeks. A great deal of uncertainty regarding the prescription of psychopharmaca to children and adolescents has become evident. Despite the fact that an enuresis can not be diagnosed before the end of the 5th year, it was one of the most frequently treated symptom of the 2-5 year old children. On the other hand, approximately one third of all physicians principally do not treat children and adolescents with psychopharmaca.