Psychiatric Assessment of the Very Young Child in the Clinic

• Published in: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Vol. 55; no. 10; pp. S357 - S358
• Main Authors: Harrison, Joyce N., MD, Frankel, Karen A., PhD, Njoroge, Wanjiku, MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Baltimore Elsevier Inc 01.10.2016; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Child & adolescent psychiatry; Childhood; Children; Clinics; Community health services; Competence; Evaluation; Infants; Interviews; Labor force; Mental disorders; Parameters; Pediatrics; Preschool children; Psychiatry; Psychological tests; Structured interviews; Toddlers; Training; Workshops; Young Children
• ISSN: 0890-8567; 1527-5418
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2016.07.115

Objectives: There is a clear shortage of CAPs, in general, and an even greater shortage of CAPs who are comfortable assessing and treating children less than age 5 years. Current evidence shows that the rates of the common child psychiatric disorders in preschoolers are similar to those seen in later childhood. Although AACAP has described the practice parameters for the assessment of infants and toddlers and standardized structured interviews and assessment tools exist, the lack of training and time constraints in the office prevent many practitioners from feeling competent in their ability to assess very young children. This workshop attempts to address the workforce issues by providing practitioners with the tools and an opportunity to practice psychiatric assessment of very young children. Methods: Dr. Karen A. Frankel will present Axis V of the DC:0-3R(TM), and Drs. Joyce N. Harrison and Wanjiku Njoroge will present the AACAP Practice Parameters for the Assessment of Infants and Toddlers, focusing on the mental status exam, via a case discussion, PowerPoint, and videotape. Results: The presenters and participants will develop a practical plan for the assessment of children in their clinics or early childhood settings. Conclusions: By use of elements of the DC:0-3R(TM) and the AACAP Practice Parameters for the Assessment of Infants and Toddlers, it is possible to evaluate very young children in clinics and community settings.