How can I involve parents or guardians in the management plan for a child or young person with depression?

Healthcare professionals should make all efforts necessary to engage the child or young person and their parents or carers in treatment decisions, taking full account of patient and parental/carer expectations, so that the patient and their parents or carers can give meaningful and properly informed consent before treatment is initiated ².

When assessing a child or young person with depression, healthcare professionals should routinely consider, and record in the patient's notes, potential family and social context, including the quality of interpersonal relationships between the patient and their family members, to inform management ².

Healthcare professionals should provide appropriate information and advice on depression and support groups to parents or carers, ensuring they are involved in the child's care plan ¹.

If bullying is a factor, professionals should work collaboratively with parents, CAMHS, and educational staff to develop effective antibullying strategies and involve parents in prevention efforts ¹.

Consideration should be given to the possible need for parents' own psychiatric problems to be treated in parallel, and a plan should be made for obtaining such treatment, involving adult mental health services if necessary ¹.

In inpatient or intensive care scenarios, involving parents or guardians in the admission and treatment process is recommended whenever possible to support the child's recovery ².