Pediatric psychiatry or Child and Adolescent psychiatry refers to a branch of psychiatry which focuses on diagnosing, curing and preventing mental health problems in children, adolescents and their family members. It makes an investigation of the various bio-psychosocial factors which have an impact on the development as well as course of psychiatric illnesses and treatment responses to different types of interventions. Find out about the various types of treatment measures used by a Pediatric psychiatrist today.
1) Psychological treatment
Talking therapy or psychotherapy is the commonest treatment that is used for treating the mental health issues of children. Some of the therapies that are used commonly for this purpose include:
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
In this kind of therapy, structured-talking method is used for bring about a change in negative behaviors, feelings and thoughts of children affected by psychiatric disorders.
Psychodynamic therapy
This kind of therapy is based on art, play or talking – which takes into account the way past relationships and experiences have an impact on existing behavior of kids.
Family therapy
In such type of therapy, family members of affected children come together for the identification of problems, resolution of issues and learning new skills to communicate with each other and cope with the issues.
2) Medication
A Pediatric psychiatrist mainly uses psychotherapy and / or medication for the treatment of mental health problems in children.
In case of some mental health issues, medications might be the best possible way for the management of various symptoms that are displayed. This can ensure that affected children can find it easier to return to their daily activities and be able to lead their lives as normally as possible.
It is important to note that a Pediatric psychiatrist is an expert at the management of medications used for treating the mental issues of children and tackling the interactions and side effects of the same. In many cases, medications have to be used side by side with therapies, in order to ensure the best treatment of kids who are patients.
In most cases, it is not only children need to be treated. A Pediatric psychiatrist also has the responsibility to provide family members of affected children with constant support, motivation and encouragement – to deal with the problem with more patience, in order to ensure success of the process. This requires a high level of knowledge, experience, virtues and skills, which is why child psychiatrists are highly respected in the medical world.