Understanding the Mental Health Problems of Children and Adolescents

This text is a practical guide to informed care for youth mental health. It presents the definition, etiology, steps for diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments for all of the major mental health problems commonly found in children and adolescents. The authors combine systems of care, social ecology, and strengths-based perspectives to create sensitive criteria for diagnoses and treatment plans that can achieve long-lasting improvements.Each disorder is presented in two chapters. The first chapter discusses the DSM criteria, biological aspects of the disorder, differential diagnosing, and a case study applying the diagnostic criteria. The second chapter presents evidence-based treatments and medications and a discussion of the outcomes of the case study from the preceding chapter. This straightforward approach makes this book highly adaptable for the classroom and beyond.Features: definitions of mental health problems based on the new DSM-V; uses a systems of care approach that encourages creativity and flexibility on the part of the practitioner and the full engagement and participation of parents, educators, and other professionals in the child or adolescent s life; case studies illustrate both the symptoms and treatments of all disorders discussed; clear discussion of medications for each diagnosis and discussions of differential diagnoses.