Defensive medicine-related practices among child and adolescent psychiatrists in Türkiye: prevalence, behavioral patterns, and associated factors

Introduction

Defensive medicine (DM) refers to practices adopted to avoid potentially distressing medico-legal situations. Although DM has been widely studied across various medical specialties, evidence in psychiatry remains limited, and no studies have specifically examined this issue in child and adolescent psychiatry. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of DM among child and adolescent psychiatrists in Türkiye and to identify associated factors.