Benzodiazepines in Children and Adolescents

Topics: Benzodiazepines | Child Psychiatry | Pharmacology

Michael, who’s 9, is brought in by his parents for his first psychiatric assessment. His parents report that lately, Michael has been worrying all the time. He asks to sleep in his parents’ bed. This past month, he also began having problems separating from his parents in the morning for school. Michael’s therapist suggested a medication assessmen

Differentiating ADHD From Anxiety: Tips for Clinicians

Topics: ADHD | Anxiety | Child Psychiatry | Practice Tools and Tips

When parents bring in their kids for concentration, attention, and learning issues, it’s common to assume a provisional diagnosis of ADHD. In many children, however, anxiety can be the real cause of these problems. Studies have long shown that about two-thirds of children and adolescents who present for ADHD evaluation have comorbid conditions, inc

Acting Out: Is It Anxiety?

Topics: Anxiety Disorder | Child Psychiatry

CCPR: We see so many kids who are acting out. Can you begin by telling us about how anxiety can be hidden in oppositional or other acting-out behavior? Dr. Glovinsky: I see that all the time. What you’re bringing up are two groups. One group looks like oppositional behavior with comorbid anxiety underneath. The other is a group of kids who are hav

Azithromycin for Acute-Onset Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Children

Topics: Child Psychiatry | OCD | Research Update

Review of: Murphy et al, J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2017; 27(7):640–651 Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric syndrome associated with streptococcus (PANDAS) have been the subject of many debates in the field. From obsessions, compulsions, and tics, to personality changes and opposi

Celecoxib as Adjunctive Treatment in Acute Mania

Topics: Bipolar Disorder | Child Psychiatry | OCD | Research Update

Review of: Mousavi et al, J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2017; 27(6):494–500 Emotional stress can trigger an inflammatory cascade response and increase blood levels of proinflammatory cytokines—including IL-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α). These same inflammatory markers intensify in acute episodes of depression and mania. So, would

Negative Efficacy of Desvenlafaxine and Fluoxetine for Children and Adolescents With MDD

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Research Update

Review of: Weihs et al, J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2018;28(1):36–46 The debate about whether antidepressants work in children has been with us since the tricyclic era. A recent study evaluated the short-term efficacy and safety of a newer agent, desvenlafaxine (Pristiq). This multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Lithium: Practical Considerations for Children With Suicidal Thinking

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Depressive Disorder | Free Articles | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychopharmacology Tips

Billy, age 10, has periods of intense aggression alternating with moments of wanting to be dead, severe mood swings, poor sleep, and pervasive irritability. He has a family history of bipolar disorder. Other family members have responded well to lithium. Since they want to act assertively to help him, Billy’s family is open to medication trials and an

Helping Clinicians Manage Teen Suicide Risk

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Practice Tools and Tips

CCPR: Thank you, Dr. Pfeffer, for participating in this interview on youth suicide. To start us off, how have clinicians come to understand risk factors for teen suicide? Dr. Pfeffer: Historically, psychiatrists did not focus on identifying and treating risk factors for child and adolescent suicidal behavior. But after an increase in youth suicide r

From Infantile Autism to Autism Spectrum Disorder

Topics: Autism Spectrum Disorder | Child Psychiatry | DSM | Free Articles

Changes in diagnostic criteria not only affect the clinical and public perception of a disorder, but also its perceived prevalence. Such is the case with autism. The evolution of the autism diagnosis since it was introduced into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in 1980 inarguably has altered its reported prevalence, rising from an estimated 1

Evolution of the Autism Diagnosis

Topics: Autism Spectrum Disorder | Child Psychiatry | DSM

CCPR: Where did autism arise, and how do we understand its evolution over the last 50 years? Dr. Volkmar: The history of autism goes back many years. There is a small literature suggesting that some of the reports of so-called “feral children” in Europe starting in the very late 1700s/early 1800s, eg, Victor, the Wild Boy of Aveyron by Itard, may

Taking Back Control in Binge Eating Disorder

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Eating Disorders | Free Articles

Confined to the appendix in previous editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), binge eating disorder (BED) took a leap into the spotlight with its inclusion as an official diagnosis in 2013’s DSM-5. It is one of the more controversial of DSM-5 disorders, with some claiming that BED inappropriately turns overeating and obesity into a psy

Eating Disorders: Assessment and Treatment

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Eating Disorders | Free Articles | Inpatient Psychiatry

Conduct Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder: A Primer

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | Free Articles | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychotherapy

Vignette: Richie was a 15-year-old boy referred for evaluation after multiple run-ins with the police for drug possession, fighting, and shoplifting. Richie was the oldest of three boys and looked up to a gang-involved cousin who was in prison for drug trafficking. The patient was enrolled in multisystemic therapy (MST) for both treatment and further e

Kids and Anxiety Disorders

Topics: Anxiety Disorder | Child Psychiatry | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | OCD | Practice Tools and Tips

Practical Tips for Handling Psychiatric Emergencies in Children and Adolescents

Topics: Child Psychiatry

Can Changing Media Consumption Improve Behavior?

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Research Updates

EMDR in Children and Adolescents [Free Article]

Topics: Child Psychiatry | Free Articles | Psychotherapy

Post-Concussive Syndrome, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Disruptive Behavior Disorders [Free Article]

Topics: ADHD | Child Psychiatry | Free Articles