Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospital

Child and adolescent psychiatry is a medical specialism that diagnoses and treats mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions in children and young people up to the age of 18. It takes a different approach from psychiatry for adults, because children's minds and bodies are still developing. Child and adolescent psychiatrists are fully qualified medical doctors who can prescribe psychiatric medications

What conditions does child and adolescent psychiatry treat?

Child and adolescent psychiatrists help with a wide range of mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, including:

• autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental conditions
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• learning disabilities and intellectual disability
• tic disorders, including Tourette's syndrome
• feeding and toileting difficulties in younger children
• depression, anxiety and phobias
• obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• mood disorders, including bipolar disorder
• psychosis
• eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia
• self-harm and attempted suicide
• conduct disorder and other behavioural difficulties
• attachment disorders
• trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including adjusting to events such as bereavement or divorce

What are the benefits of seeing a child and adolescent psychiatrist?

Research shows around 50% of long-term mental health conditions can be identified by the age of 14, and 75% by the age of 18. Finding the right diagnosis and support early can make a real difference to how well a condition responds to treatment and can reduce the impact on a young person's school life, family life and long-term wellbeing.

Are there different areas of focus within child and adolescent psychiatry?

Some child and adolescent psychiatrists develop a particular special interest, depending on the needs they see most often. These areas include:

• inpatient care for children in crisis or with serious mental health problems
• neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism and ADHD
• learning disabilities
• eating disorders
• infant mental health
• substance misuse
• forensic psychiatry, for young people involved with the criminal justice system
• liaison work with other medical teams, such as paediatrics

What happens when you see a child and adolescent psychiatrist?

An assessment usually takes place in an outpatient clinic and involves a full, face-to-face meeting with a psychiatrist, lasting around two hours. Your psychiatrist will also gather information from standardised questionnaires completed by parents or carers, the young person, and sometimes their school. Depending on their assessment, they will decide on a diagnosis and treatment plan.

If ADHD is suspected, you may also be offered a QB Check, a computer-based test that measures hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention, and can be repeated later to track any improvement. Most care takes place in outpatient clinics, though a small number of children in crisis or with more serious difficulties are seen as inpatients, often as part of a wider team that also involves schools and social services.