Child Psychiatry

Child psychiatry is a separate branch of medicine, which studies the mental development of children from birth to adulthood. Since the psychics of an adult and a child are very different, child psychiatry studies the specifics of the manifestation, course, causes and mechanisms of development of mental disorders specifically in childhood and adolescence (both psychotic and non-psychotic disorders), as well as their treatment and prevention.

Child psychiatry has a number of peculiarities, which include its close connection to related disciplines: neurology, pediatrics and pedagogy. Thus, the main distinction of child psychiatry is that its object of consideration is the growing organism.

A Child Psychiatrist is a doctor who has received specialization in child psychiatry and has the appropriate certification. Parents can visit a Child Psychiatrist either on their own or by referral from a specialist who works with children (e.g., a pediatrician, speech therapist, psychologist, child neurologist).

Diseases treated at our Center:

• Stuttering
• Behavioral and emotional disorders
• Mentaldevelopment disorder
• Pathology of thinking and perception
• Pelvic organs dysfunction (enuresis, encopresis)
• Disorders of psychological development in children with cerebral palsy, epilepsy
• General development disorders in children of preschool and primary school age
• Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder - ADHD (lack of attention to details, difficulties with concentration, avoidance of activities which require constant mental effort for a long period of time, mild distraction, forgetfulness)
• Receptive and expressive speech disorders (the child's speech development is far below his or her psychosocial age abilities or is practically absent; the child does not understand or has difficulty understanding speech addressed to him or her)
• Autism (no babbling during the first year of life, no sign language at age one, no comprehensible single words at age one and a half, no simple phrases until age two, loss of language or social skills at any age lack of interest in the people and toys around them, weak emotional responses, no response to one's own name, monotonous movements (waving hands, jumping on the spot, spinning around) or monotonous games (arranging toys in a row, closing and opening doors, turning lights on and off, etc.))

What to do before consultation?

It is important that the child doesn’t make a point of the upcoming consultation with a Child Psychiatrist. That way, he/she is more likely to be calm and confident during the examination.

If the child has problems at school/kindergarten, it is desirable to have a description of the situation from this institution, in which the teacher (kindergarten teacher) describes the situation. If the child has previously visited a child neurologist, psychologist or speech therapist, you should have a written report from the specific specialist. If there are any problems with the child's physical health, you should have statements from the child's doctor, specialists and test results.

At the same time, explain to young children that there will be no painful procedures when seeing a psychiatrist, so there is nothing to be afraid of.

At the appointment with Child Psychiatrist

When you visit a child psychiatrist the parents first tell their child what is bothering them, and then the psychiatrist begins to gather the necessary data about the family and ask questions, for example about past illnesses and lifestyle.

The doctor then talks to the child, examines him/her, analyses the general condition, the development of the illness and the possible causes of the illness.

Which follow-up examination can be prescribed by the Child Psychiatrist?

A full examination may require consultation with other specialists. In such cases, the Child Psychiatrist may refer the child to another specialist and prescribe an electroencephalography (EEG), ultrasound examination of the brain, computed tomography (CT) of the brain.

Mental Disorders Treatment Methods in Children

After the consultation, the Child Psychiatrist prescribes medication or refers the child to a clinical psychologist for psychocorrective work. He also makes recommendations regarding the correct way of life. Usually treatment and rehabilitation procedures include communication and speech therapy, behavioral therapy, sensory-integration therapy, and parenting skills training.

In some cases the Child Psychiatrist makes recommendations for certain social issues, particularly regarding receiving social assistance and the form of education. The psychiatrist also gives evaluation.

It is important to remember that a psychologist, psychiatrist and psychotherapist are not identical concepts.

A psychologist is not a doctor. His task is psychodiagnosis and psychocorrection, but he cannot prescribe treatment. Psychologists in schools, for example, work with healthy children. And only clinical psychologists trained in medical schools know how to work with mental pathologies. A psychiatrist is a doctor who discovers the presence of a mental disorder, diagnoses the mental and neurological condition, and prescribes the necessary additional examination and treatment. A psychotherapist is a psychiatrist who has specialized in psychotherapy. His task is non-medicinal treatment, that is, he/she uses special methods to influence the psyche, and through the psyche the entire body.

Advantages of our Center

If you have noticed your child has any of these symptoms, you need a child psychiatrist's evaluation or just a consultation with a Child Psychiatrist, we recommend using the services of our clinic and making an appointment with a Child Psychiatrist. We guarantee quality results.