Adolescent Psychiatry - Volume 1, Issue 3, 2011

The Annual Meeting of the American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry (ASAP) took place in New York, March 26-27. 2011. This issue contains three articles based on presentations at the meeting. The theme of the meeting was “From 9/11 to 2011-a Ten Year Update on Adolescent Psychiatry.” Two of the presenters-Craig Katz and Cynthia Pfeffer-both psychiatrists-were in New York City at the time of the terrorist attacks on the Read More

Disaster psychiatry has existed for many decades as a field but has received heightened attention since 9/11. In the last ten years, a good deal has been written about the field, but efforts to establish its evidence base or to fund appropriate services have been more variable. This article will review the current state of the science in disaster psychiatry, with particular emphasis on acute psychopharmacologic and psychothera Read More

Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 the immediate and longer term effects of disasters on development and well-being of children and adolescents who survive them have been significant public and mental health issues. Young people exposed to a traumatic event are at higher risk for developing mental disorders, but not all are affected equally. The impact of a disaster is affected by many individual, family and Read More

With approximately 50% of marriages ending in divorce in the U. S., children have a high probability of experiencing their parents' divorce. High levels of parental conflict are common at the time of separation, litigation, and the issuance of final divorce decree. In 20 to 30% of divorces conflict continues and becomes chronic. While divorce is always stressful for children, high conflict divorces are the most stressful, with Read More

While policy makers demand that mental health care professionals implement empirically supported treatments (ESTs) for youth psychiatric disorders, research indicates that mental health care professionals do not possess the required competence for the implementation of these ESTs, due to less than optimal EST training. This paper discusses the need for: 1) the clear articulation of therapist competencies required for Read More

What happens in the first encounter has long been recognized as crucial to psychotherapeutic work. This is especially true when working with adolescents, whose preconceived ideas about psychiatric treatment and therapist are often less than positive. Adolescents seen in public mental health settings present particular challenges, as these youngsters have often had negative experiences with therapy. The author presen Read More

Long term inpatient treatment is no longer generally available for adolescents, and young patients whose behavior would have resulted in hospitalization in the past are now by default treated in outpatient settings. In order for outpatient treatment to be successful, some key ingredients are necessary. These include genuine interest and commitment on part of the therapist and the ability to communicate these to the ado Read More

Until bright, creative, and alienated adolescents learn to make reasonable decisions, they will not engage in proactive, constructive, and creative change. Grounded in principles of reality therapy and choice theory, compassionate confrontation psychotherapy (CCP) stresses the concepts of conscious choice and acceptance of responsibility for one's actions. CCP provides a unique therapeutic experience to induce change. Vie Read More

This research aims to describe the spatial distribution of factors associated with stress among adolescents in the Banpaew District, Samutsakhorn Province of Thailand, by using a Geographic Information System (GIS). A crosssectional study was conducted to analyze the level of stress in a sample of 321 students, aged 12 - 18, during the year 2008 at three schools in the Banpaew District. The data was collected by using qu Read More

Objectives: To examine differences in personal characteristics, types of services, and outcomes of care in a state mental health system among youths identified as having committed sex offenses. Methods: A cohort of 188 youths identified with sexual offending behaviors served during one fiscal year was compiled and their existing personal, service, and functioning data from medical and computer files were used in retrosp Read More

The therapeutic milieu plays a critical role in the management of patient behavior and delivery of therapeutic content. Formal training in the techniques of milieu therapy and collaborative problem-solving (CPS) provides mental health employees with a unique set of practical strategies that enhance pro-social behavior of children and adolescents. The empowering techniques of milieu therapy and CPS include skills to est Read More

Objective: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) can have many medical, social, and psychological sequelae. These untoward effects include abdominal pain, gynecologic disorders, changes in peer and family interactions, depression, bipolar disorder, behavioral changes, as well as many other complications. The purpose of this paper is to present a case study that illustrates many of these sequelae and compare features of the Read More

Based on diaries he kept between the ages of 13-16, musician and author Jim Carroll's book, The Basketball Diaries, describes his harrowing descent into drug use. The descriptions in the book are useful in helping those who work with adolescent substance abusers understand their patients' experiences. Using Carroll's descriptions of his addiction, the author discusses various parameters that determine the appropri Read More