Evaluation by a child and adolescent psychiatrist is appropriate for any child or adolescent with emotional and/or behavioral problems. Most kids and adolescents with serious emotional and behavioral problems need a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation.
Comprehensive psychiatric evaluations usually require several hours over one or more office visits for the child and moms & dads. With the moms & dads' permission, other significant people (such as the family physician, school personnel or other relatives) may be contacted for additional information.
The comprehensive evaluation frequently includes the following:
· Parent and family health and psychiatric histories
· Interview of the child or adolescent
· Interview of moms & dads/guardians
· Information about the child's development
· Information about school and friends
· Information about health, illness and treatment (both physical and psychiatric), including current medications
· Information about family relationships
· Laboratory studies such as blood tests, x-rays, or special assessments (for example, psychological, educational, speech and language evaluation)
· Description of present problems and symptoms
The child and adolescent psychiatrist then develops a formulation. The formulation describes the child's problems and explains them in terms that the moms & dads and child can understand. The formulation combines biological, psychological and social parts of the problem with developmental needs, history and strengths of the child, adolescent and family.
Time is made available to answer the moms & dads' and child's questions. Moms & dads often come to such evaluations with many concerns, including:
· Am I silly to worry?
· Can you help us? Can you help my child?
· Does my child need additional assessment and/or testing (medical, psychological etc.)?
· Does my child need treatment? Do I need treatment?
· Is my child normal? Am I normal? Am I to blame?
· What are your recommendations? How can the family help?
· What is wrong? What is the diagnosis?
· What will treatment cost, and how long will it take?
Moms & dads are often worried about how they will be viewed during the evaluation. Child and adolescent psychiatrists are there to support families and to be a partner, not to judge or blame. They listen to concerns, and help the child or adolescent and his/her family define the goals of the evaluation. Moms & dads should always ask for explanations of words or terms they do not understand.
When a treatable problem is identified, recommendations are provided and a specific treatment plan is developed. Child and adolescent psychiatrists are specifically trained and skilled in conducting comprehensive psychiatric evaluations with kids, adolescents and families.
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