Perceptions of parents regarding psychiatric medication use in children presenting to a child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic in Karabük, Türkiye.

BACKGROUND: Parental attitudes toward psychotropic medication substantially influence treatment acceptance and adherence in child and adolescent psychiatry. Yet, data on these perceptions remain limited in Türkiye. The aim of this study is to assess parents’ perceptions and attitudes toward psychiatric medication use for their children presenting to a child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic in Karabük, Türkiye. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of Karabük Training and Research Hospital in Karabük, Türkiye. Between April and June 2025, 170 parents of children aged 1–18 years presenting for their first psychiatric evaluation and meeting the inclusion criteria (first-time attendance and consent to participate) completed a sociodemographic form and a 15-item Psychotropic Medication Perception Questionnaire developed by the investigators. Children were evaluated with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children – Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL). Categorical responses were compared by parental education level, history of psychiatric consultation, and personal history of psychiatric medication use using Pearson’s Chi-square or Fisher’s Exact test. RESULTS: Mean parental age was 39.8 ± 8.55 years; 74.1% were mothers. 59% of parents held at least a high-school diploma. Higher education was significantly associated with correct identification of psychotropic drug classes (Item 1: p < 0.001), belief that higher doses are not necessarily more effective (Item 6: p = 0.026), and recognition that long-term use can prevent relapse (Item 15: p = 0.047). Parents who had previously consulted a psychiatrist (41.2%) demonstrated significantly less agreement that medications merely sedate (Item 2: p = 0.001), greater belief in their therapeutic efficacy (Item 4: p = 0.046), and less fear of side effects (Item 8: p = 0.004). Similarly, parents with prior personal use of psychiatric medication (33.5%) showed reduced concern about sedative effects (Item 2: p = 0.009), higher confidence in mechanism of action (Item 3: p = 0.044), and stronger trust in prescriber objectivity (Item 5: p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Parental education level, prior psychiatric consultation, and personal experience with psychotropic medications each play a key role in shaping accurate, trustful attitudes toward child psychiatric pharmacotherapy. Incorporating these factors into family-centered psychoeducation may enhance treatment engagement and outcomes.