Clinical audit on treatment of depression in CAMHS

Purpose – The purpose of this audit cycle was to compare the clinical practice of treating children and adolescents with moderate to severe depression with the NICE guidelines. The second aim was to recommend changes in practice to improve compliance to the guidelines and reinvestigate the degree of change two years after the initial recommendations. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 40 patients within Secondary Care with moderate or severe depression were selected. Data were collected, analyzed and recommendations were made. The second phase of the audit cycle was completed after two years, following similar methods. Findings – On most of the parameters the clinical practice improved in the re-audit, indicating better compliance with the NICE guidelines. However, on a few areas the compliance did not improve or even deteriorated. Research limitations/implications – The implications of the results were discussed and final recommendations were made based on the findings and the perceived change in practice. Originality/value – Literature searches revealed no previous audit cycles to have been conducted on CAMHS compliance to NICE guidelines with regards to treating depression.