The Psychiatric Consult

Clinical Manual of Pediatric Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry offers a comprehensive guide for mental health clinicians, trainees, and students to pediatric consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP), a specialized area of psychiatry whose practitioners have particular expertise in the diagnosis and management of psychiatric disorders in complex physically ill children and adolescents. Patients commonly fall into one of three descriptive categories: those with comorbid emotional and physical illnesses that complicate each other's management; those with distressing somatic symptoms plus abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behavior in response to these symptoms; and those with psychiatric symptoms that are a direct consequence of a physical illness and/or its treatment. The text, authored by two luminaries in pediatric psychiatry, thoroughly explores the challenges faced by these patients and pediatric practitioners and mental health professionals who together care for them, addressing, in a concrete and practical manner, the wide variety of issues encountered in the pediatric hospital. These concerns range from how to address treatment nonadherence in children to how to conduct a psychosocial assessment of a solid organ transplant recipient. The text's carefully chosen features and valuable content include: Historical context for the evolution of "pediatric psychosomatic medicine" to "pediatric consultation-liaison psychiatry," ensuring an accurate, up-to-date representation of the field and proper integration with DSM-5 classification. Detailed clinical assessment protocols, with guidance for exploring interrelated domains such as illness factors, emotional impact, family functioning, and social relationships. These practical, step-by-step guides assist the consultant in conducting a comprehensive psychiatric/psychological assessment. A target symptom-oriented chapter on psychopharmacology in the physically ill child, which offers guidance on management of acute agitation, insomnia, fatigue, depression, and anxiety. The treatment algorithms presented are designed to be easily understood by non-psychiatric clinicians. Guidance on the use of practical interventions to help physically ill children undergoing traumatic medical procedures, including hypnosis, progressive muscle relaxation, and breathing techniques. These specific techniques will help the clinician in assisting distressed patients. The previous edition was considered the gold standard for books in the field. This new, thoroughly revised iteration of Clinical Manual of Pediatric Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry will doubtless inspire similar acclaim for its rigor, accessibility, and clinical wisdom.