What is paediatric psychiatry?
Paediatric psychiatry is a branch of medicine that deals with the study and treatment of mental disorders and behaviour of children, from birth through to adolescence. Generally, in the treatment of these disorders, the administration of specific drugs for each specific pathology is combined with psychotherapy. Also, often the psychiatrist works with a professional expert in paediatric psychology, which is a branch of psychology focused on the study of behaviour and physical, motor, cognitive, perceptual, emotional and social development of children. Thus, therapies can be applied to solve childhood mental and behavioural disorders.
Specialists in paediatric psychiatry diagnose the mental disorders and behaviours of children based on their medical history, examinations and tests in each case.
What disorders does a paediatric psychiatrist treat?
Some of the disorders that paediatric psychiatrists treat are:
When should a child be taken to see a psychiatrist?
A child could be taken to a paediatric psychiatry specialist if they have certain behavioural problems, eating disorder, or when indicated by their GP, psychologist, paediatrician or school.