Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Evaluation:
The Brichel Center offers psychiatric evaluation for children and adolescents. A psychiatric evaluation gives careful consideration to numerous factors related to a child or adolescent's mental status, including his/her emotional, behavioral, social and academic development. The psychiatrist's evaluation will consider the parent's description of their child's difficulties and current functioning, a review of current and past medical status, as well as a review of developmental, social and family history. The child or adolescent is interviewed or evaluated in an age-appropriate, non-threatening manner in a comfortable setting.
A psychiatric evaluation is appropriate for children and adolescents who are struggling with negative mood, such as sadness, excessive worries, anger or irritability, or for those with difficulties controlling their behavior, for example poor impulse control, sleep disruption or excessive substance use. Children or adolescents who experience difficulty in social or academic settings might also benefit from psychiatric evaluation.
A psychiatric evaluation at the Brichel Center is typically 90 minutes long and usually consists of a meeting with the child or adolescent and his/her parents, a private meeting with the parents, a private meeting with the child or adolescent, and a final meeting with everyone together to discuss diagnosis, recommendations and treatment planning.
Recommendations may include no need for psychiatric intervention or follow-up, treatment with medication, treatment with therapy, parent guidance, referral to appropriate resources, or a combination of these interventions.
The most common child and adolescent disorders treated at the Brichel Center include:
•Adjustment Disorders•Anxiety Disorders°Panic Disorder°Separation Anxiety°Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder°Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder°Phobias•Mood Disorders°Depression°Bipolar Disorder•Attention Deficit Disorders•Pervasive Developmental Disorders•Substance Abuse Disorders