Mental health guidelines for the care of people with spina bifida.
Tessa K Kritikos, Kathryn Smith, Grayson N Holmbeck
PMID 32986630WHAT IT FOUND
For people with spina bifida, mental health guidelines recommend screening for depression, anxiety, bullying, and risk behaviors at all ages.
They also recommend family support, physical and social activity, self-care, and transition planning. These are consensus recommendations, not proven treatments.
Key findings
01The guidelines recommend assessing children for depression, anxiety, bullying, and social participation, and screening adults for depression or anxiety with interventions when appropriate.
02The guidelines recommend promoting community recreation and activities or hobbies that improve face-to-face social contact.
03For adolescents, the guidelines recommend plans for independent living, post-secondary education, vocational training, career interests, and transition from pediatric to adult health care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
No patients or outcomes were tested, so the paper does not show that any recommendation improves mental health. Many guideline entries are supported by clinical consensus rather than a reported trial or effect estimate. The supplied text does not include a formal evidence grading system or author conflict-of-interest declaration. The recommendations are specific to spina bifida and may not apply to other disabilities.
Declared interests
The article is tagged as supported by NIH, non-U.S. government, and U.S. government Public Health Service research. No author conflict-of-interest declaration is provided in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these guidelines as proof that screening, camps, sports, or transition planning improve mental health in spina bifida. The paper says many recommendations rest on clinical consensus and calls for evaluation of these interventions.