Published in:
01-01-2013 | Letter to the Editor
Manifest for evidence-based child psychiatry in France
Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry | Issue 1/2013
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Since decades, there exists a controversy about the place of evidence-based practice in French child psychiatry, in the context of a large influence of psychoanalysis in this country. Although an increasing group of professionals is oriented at an international standard of care based on methodologically sound empirical evidence, recent events may reinforce the misleading generalization that French professionals involved in child mental health do not implement modern clinical practices based on empirical scientific knowledge. As recent examples we briefly mention the following two, both related to the management of individuals with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs):
1.
An international group of experts in PDDs published in the February 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, a consensus statement considering as “unethical” and “against evidence-based practice parameters” an “alleged form of therapy” labeled as “le packing”, implemented by some French practitioners for severe behavioral problems in children and adolescents with PDDs [1];
2.
In September 2011, a movie (“The Wall”), focusing on the management of individuals with autism in France, was diffused on the internet. According to this movie, psychoanalysts treat individuals with PDDs using anachronistic, non-evidence-based and unethical methods [2].