What is a Child Psychiatrist?
A child psychiatrist is a physician specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of thinking, feeling and/or behavior affecting children, adolescents, and their families. A child and adolescent psychiatry evaluation encompasses history, genetic factors, social factors, behavioral patterns, environmental factors, as well as demographic and biologic factors. A child and adolescent psychiatrist offers families the advantages of medical education, the medical traditions of professional ethics, and medical responsibility for providing comprehensive care.
A Child Psychiatrist uses a knowledge of biological, psychological, and social factors in working with patients. Initially, a comprehensive diagnostic examination is performed to evaluate the current problem with attention to various components. The psychiatrist arrives at a diagnosis and diagnostic formulation which are shared with the patient and family. A treatment plan is then designed which considers all dynamic components of the case and the psychiatrist discusses these recommendations with an integrated approach.
