THE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIST  

The child and adolescent psychiatrist is a licensed physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of thinking, feeling or behavior affecting children, adolescents and their families. As a physician, a child and adolescent psychiatrist offers families the advantage of a medical education, the medical tradition of professional ethics, physician-patient accountability and experience in being responsible for human life.  

Practice

The child and adolescent psychiatrist uses a knowledge of biological, psychological and social factors in working with patients. Initially, a comprehensive diagnostic examination is performed to evaluate the current problem with attention to its physical, genetic, developmental, emotional, cognitive, educational, family, peer and social components, arriving at a diagnosis and diagnostic formulation for the youngster, and if appropriate, the family. The child and adolescent psychiatrist then designs a treatment plan that considers all the components and discusses these recommendations with the child or adolescent and family. An integrated approach may involve individual, group or family psychotherapy; medication; or consultation with other physicians or professionals from schools, juvenile courts, social agencies or other community organizations, often involving other professional disciplines. Except with older adolescents and young adults, the parents or caretaking family almost always participate in the therapeutic program.

Training

Child and adolescent psychiatric training requires 4 years of medical school, 1 year of supervised hospital medical training (internship), at least 2 years of approved residency training in general psychiatry with adults, and 2 years of training in psychiatric work with children, adolescents and their families in an approved residency in child and adolescent psychiatry.  

In the general psychiatry training years, the resident achieves competence in the basics of psychiatric work. In the child and adolescent psychiatry residency, the trainee acquires a thorough knowledge of normal child and family development as well as psychopathology, and treatment. Special importance is given to disorders that appear in childhood, such as pervasive developmental disorder, learning disabilities, mental retardation, depression, drug dependency and delinquency. The child psychiatric resident further applies and develops psychiatric skills by treating youngsters and their families. The evaluation and treatment of inpatients and outpatients is important throughout the residency, with a concentration on delivery of appropriate treatment within the family's financial and psychological means. This training includes supervised experience with children of all ages and from all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, in long-term or family treatment. The training with hospitalized children and adolescents provides the preparation for full hospital admission and treatment privileges.

Certification and Continuing Education

Having completed the child psychiatry residency and successfully passed the examination in general psychiatry given by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, the child and adolescent psychiatrist is eligible for certification in the subspecialty of child and adolescent psychiatry. Although these last two examinations are not required for practice, they are a further assurance that the child and adolescent psychiatrist who are trained and certified in this way can be expected to diagnosis and treat all psychiatric conditions of patients of any age, or refer them for such treatment, and they are prepared to contribute in many ways to serve the welfare of children and their families.

The child and adolescent psychiatrist, as any other physician, continues to study and learn about the new advances in the specialty by reading scientific literature and attending conferences, to be able to apply new knowledge effectively in daily diagnostic, therapeutic and consultive work.