Drugs shouldn't be first response to children's problems, speakers say

Many medications prescribed don't tackle root causes of many mental health problems

VATICAN CITY — When children exhibit behavioral problems, doctors and families should consider social and psychological support and not immediately try to address the difficulty with prescription drugs, said a number of speakers at a Vatican conference.

Caution should be used not only because many prescribed medications can cause serious side effects, but because often the child's behavioral problems are rooted in anxiety, stress and other psychological, not biological, causes, many speakers said.