Essential child and adolescent psychiatry and substance use disorders for the nonpsychiatrist

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of common child and adolescent psychiatric disorders from the perspective of general pediatric practice. The introduction discusses goals of diagnostic classification and the usefulness and disadvantages of our current classification systems. The chapter outlines the essentials of the following eight conditions: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder, tic disorders, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, and substance use disorders. Case vignettes illustrate the clinical presentation of the disorders. For each condition, the chapter discusses diagnostic work-up, including specific assessment tools, and summarizes evidence-based treatment strategies, especially psychoeducation, psychotherapy, and psychopharmacology.