Treating children and adolescents can be quite different than treatment for adults. There are a variety of other variables that have to be taken into consideration when treating youth.
What Will a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Ask Us at the First Appointment?
Child and Adolescent psychiatric providers all have the same training and education that adult psychiatrists possess; however, they have extensive experience and knowledge in assessing and diagnosing children and adolescents. All psychiatrists are interested in the presenting concerns and symptoms that may be occurring. They will ask questions about onset, frequency, duration, and any themes or patterns that may have been noticed. They will be inquiring about medical history, family history, and medication history. They will also explore social stressors or events. They will ask about school, work, family relationships and dynamics, and social friendships. They will inquire about any substance use or abuse and explore a wide variety of mental health issues from depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, trauma, eating disorders and much more. Of great importance is also obtaining some background on development. Child and adolescent psychiatrists have to factor in developmental milestone being attained, and the age of the client and how they are developing socially, emotionally, physically, and mentally. These are key considerations in assessment and diagnosis.
Will the Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Talk to Us Parents Too?
Your child and adolescent psychiatrist is very interested in parent’s input when making assessments and diagnoses. Many children and even adolescents are not always the most self-aware and often struggle to articulate their experiences objectively to others. Despite parents’ great love and concern for the child, they do bring great observation of the issues and concerns as they interact routinely and are capable of shedding light on behaviors they see with their child. Similarly, teachers and other care providers may be solicited to provide additional observational information to help create a clear picture of what may be going on with the child or adolescent. Your child and adolescent psychiatrist will likely want to speak alone with your child for some portion of the meeting, with the parents alone for a portion, and will likely wrap up with everyone when discussing diagnosis and treatment options to ensure that everyone hears the same information and everyone is on the same page.
If you are interested in meeting with our child and adolescent psychiatric provider, feel free to contact IPC so you can schedule an appointment with Jackie Grinnell, CNP, PMHNP who can help you complete an assessment, obtain a diagnosis and discuss treatment options for your child. Please call us now at 763-416-4167, or request an appointment on our website: WWW.IPC-MN.COM so we can sit down with you and complete a thorough assessment and help you develop a plan of action that will work for you. Life is too short to be unhappy. Find the peace of mind you deserve.
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