Neglect Most Common Form of Child Abuse

Topics: Child Psychiatry | News of Note

Report: 10% of high school seniors "extreme" binge drinkers

Topics: Child Psychiatry | News of Note | Substance Abuse

Managing Side Effects of Psychotropics

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Psychopharmacology Tips

We all know that medication use for psychiatric disorders in kids has been increasing over the past 10 years, and that it plays an important role in treatment. We also know that side effects can cause alarm among parents and young patients. In the name of providing the best treatment (ie, making sure patients take their medication), psychiatrists may

Drug Interactions in Child Psychiatry

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Psychopharmacology Tips

Drug interactions are a common issue in psychopharmacology. The advent of drug interaction software has made it easier to keep track of drug interactions, but it is still important to have a sound understanding of the principles in order to apply the results of drug interaction software alerts to daily patient care. This is true for several reasons:

Safe Prescribing of Meds for ADHD

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Psychopharmacology Tips

Video Game Addiction

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Cultural Competence | Free Articles

Video games have come a long way since Pac Man and Tetris. Games today simulate reality in massive user-generated worlds. Players chat by voice or text with people around the globe. Virtual characters work for gold, get married, become sick, and even host religious gatherings. Psychologically, games allow players to avoid real life while engaging and ev

Cyberbullies and Cybervictims: Understanding a Modern Threat

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Cultural Competence

As technology advances, so too do the problems that come with it. In 2008, Jessica Logan, 18, of Ohio, committed suicide after sexting (sending a nude photo to her boyfriend) led to the posting of the photo for all to view when they broke up. In 2009, 12-year-old Sarah Lynn Butler hanged herself after numerous derogatory MySpace posts. In 2012, Iowan Ke

Problematic Use of the Internet and Social Media

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Cultural Competence

Treating ADHD Symptoms in ASD

Topics: ADHD | Child Psychiatry

Physician Advocacy for ASD: A Primer

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Learning & Developmental Disabilities

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a family of neurodevelopmental disorders made up of autism, Asperger’s syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. While the pathophysiology behind these disorders remains largely unknown, each shares a specific constellation of symptoms including impaired communication, diminished social s

Comorbidity of Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD

Topics: ADHD | Child Psychiatry | Learning & Developmental Disabilities

Any psychiatrist will tell you that comorbidity in mental health is the norm. Comorbidity between autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) is no exception. The statistics are unequivocal: 30% to 80% of individuals with ASD also meet criteria for ADHD, and 20% to 50% of individuals with ADHD also meet criteria

Correction

Topics: Child Psychiatry

Despite our best efforts, sometimes errors make it into the final newsletter. We’d like to thank Dr. Jonathan Gamze for pointing out the following errors in Volume 3, Number 5 (Substance Abuse, November 2012): 1) Antabuse was listed as available as a 200 mg pill; in fact it is available in a 250 mg pill; 2) Suboxone is a combination of buprenorphine a

Improving Quality of Care for Autism

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Learning & Developmental Disabilities

Pharmacologic Treatment of Youth with Bipolar Disorder: Where to Next?

Topics: Bipolar Disorder | Child Psychiatry | Free Articles

Bipolar disorder presents unique pharmacologic challenges. Depending on the phase of illness a patient is in, the focus may be on acute manic or mixed episodes, acute depressive episodes, maintenance treatment (ie, prevention of recurrent episodes), and/or treatment of comorbidities, such as anxiety, ADHD, and substance abuse. Those treating children or

Letter from the Editors

Topics: Bipolar Disorder | Child Psychiatry

The diagnosis, treatment, and very existence of pediatric bipolar disorder is one of the most contentious debates in our field. While the controversy rages on, we can most agree that our goal remains providing the most efficacious and compassionate treatment to our patients, using a combination of experience, research-driven data, and common sense. We c

How We Got Here: The Psychodynamics of Juvenile Bipolar Disorder and the Clinician

Topics: Bipolar Disorder | Child Psychiatry

The studies have been done and the consensus is in. Juvenile bipolar disorder (JBD) has probably been overdiagnosed recently, and the DSM-5 will describe a narrower phenotype to qualify for the diagnosis. The 40-fold increase in the diagnosis from 1994/1995 to 2002/2003 (Moreno C et al, Arch Gen Psychiatry 2007;64(9):1032–1039) was an overreaction tha

Pediatric Bipolar Disorder (PBD): A Skeptical, Mainstream, Non-US Perspective

Topics: Bipolar Disorder | Child Psychiatry

Although practicing in Australia, I have followed the PBD phenomenon in the USA for several years. PBD had become the most common diagnosis in pre-pubertal children in US psychiatric inpatient units by 2004 (Blader JC, Carlson GA, Biol Psychiatry 2007;62(2):107–114). “The epidemic of childhood bipolar disorder” (as later described by Allen Frances

Amber Light Therapy for Bipolar Disorder

Topics: Bipolar Disorder | Child Psychiatry

When you suffer from bipolar disorder, life may seem like it’s all about sleep. It’s no longer an apple a day, but rather a full night’s rest that keeps the doctor away. Sure, a single night of poor sleep may just leave you feeling lousy, but when one bad night succeeds another, anxiety starts to build as you wonder if this is the start of another

Severe Mood Dysregulation (SMD) and Pediatric Bipolar Disorder

Topics: Bipolar Disorder | Child Psychiatry

Parents who might be interested in having their children participate in Dr. Leibenluft’s research program can call 301-496-8381 or email irritablekids@mail.nih.gov. The group is currently conducting studies with children with SMD, children with bipolar disorder, and children who have a parent or sibling with bipolar disorder.

Brain Function and Bipolar Disorder

Topics: Bipolar Disorder | Child Psychiatry