The psychiatry of children aged 0–4: advances in assessment, diagnosis and treatment

Abstract

Mental illness in very young children is relatively rare and the number of 0- to 4-year-olds seen in secondary care psychiatric services has recently declined. Conceptualisation of mental illness in this age group is shifting towards a model that views disorders as part of the wider spectrum of diagnoses, rather than distinct, developmentally specific conditions. This article discusses the epidemiology of psychiatric illness in preschool children, evaluates assessment tools that have only recently been validated for use in secondary care and considers evidence of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of early intervention using treatments encompassing pharmacological, psychological and social approaches.