WHAT IS A CHILD PSYCHIATRIST?
A child and adolescent psychiatrist, also called a teen psychiatrist, is a healthcare professional that can diagnose and treat behavioral and mental health disorders in kids. A child psychiatrist prepares an effective treatment plan for your child after carefully evaluating them, and monitoring the biological and psychological factors associated with their issues.
Depending on your child’s situation, they may suggest certain treatments including medication, individual therapy, family therapy, and more.
CHILD PSYCHIATRIST TRAINING
A child psychiatrists take 4 years of medical school, after a 4-year undergraduate degree, to master the main concepts of general medicine and psychology. During this training, they get a better understanding of the theory and practice of psychiatry and behavioral health. Then they take at least 4 years of approved residency training in general psychiatry, neurology, and medicine.
After completing this training, they can join a child psychiatry training program that usually spans over a period of 2 years. In this phase, they start learning the developmental, psychopathology, and treatments of the child and family. This training mainly revolves around disorders that appear in childhood such as mood disorders, developmental issues, autism, learning disabilities, pervasive developmental disorder, drug dependency, and delinquency.
Communicating with other doctors, school professionals, mental health professionals, and community agencies is a vital part of the training. During this entire process, the psychiatry trainee learns to treat the kids in different settings.
WHAT DOES AN ONLINE CHILD PSYCHIATRIST DO?
Consulting a child psychiatrist via online psychiatry is important if your child is suffering from behavioral issues, mental health issues, or developmental issues like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). A child psychiatrist can prescribe the right medication to manage the behaviors associated with these disorders.
Initially, the psychiatrist evaluates the current problem by carrying out a comprehensive diagnostic examination through a video conferencing platform. During this process, they try to understand the genetic, physical, education, cognitive, emotional, developmental, family, and social aspects of the problem. After getting a detailed analysis, they share the results with the patient and the family.
Then, they start preparing a treatment plan for your child considering all the important components. They won’t start the treatment if you aren’t comfortable with the treatment plan.
In most cases, the psychiatrist will suggest a medication or a behavioral therapy to treat the problem. But sometimes, they may involve the family in the treatment if required. The child psychiatrist may also speak to the school professionals, organizations, and other doctors on your child’s behalf.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT DURING FIRST APPOINTMENT?
The following information may help you if you’re confused about how the first appointment will go.
The first appointment is usually a consultation where the psychiatrist focuses on gathering information by interviewing the child and the family. They will ask for the patient’s weight and height and grade level, among other things. The psychiatrist tries to understand family dynamics by discussing the family background.
The psychiatrist may also ask you to show your medical and psychiatric histories during the first session. The first appointment is the best time to share important information with the psychiatrist.
CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST VS. CHILD PSYCHIATRIST
Do you think that a child psychologist and a child psychiatrist are the same?
Well, that’s what many other people think but that’s not the truth. There are several differences that define the boundaries between these two fields.
For instance, the training process for both fields is fairly different. A child psychologist gets a doctoral degree over a period of 5 to 7 years of graduate school, but they do not attend medical school. Therefore, a child psychologist can’t prescribe medications to the child.
On the contrary, a child psychiatrist is allowed to prescribe medications to the child. They can even order lab tests and diagnostic studies as part of the diagnostic work-up.
CHILD PSYCHIATRIST NEAR ME
If you need help with finding a child psychiatrist near me, we can help you. Just get in touch with us and tell us how we can help you.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
