Educating Social Workers about the Use of Chemotherapy and other Treatment Modalities

Abstract

This paper surveys the relevant literature on the usage and effectiveness of chemotherapy and other treatment modalities, preparatory to assessing the actual administration and monitoring of psychotropic drug treatment with severely mentally ill adolescents. The intent is to evaluate the quality of the evidence, to uncover gaps in knowledge, and to provide a rationale for standardization in chemotherapeutic treatment preferences and/or in combination with treatment forms, in-depth research design, and methodology, and ultimately, to question the extent of reliance on chemotherapy for effective and prompt treatment and rehabilitation of severe mental illness in adolescents.