Adolescent Psychiatry - Volume 1, Issue 4, 2011

This issue of Adolescent Psychiatry spans the spectrum between evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence. A special section on eating disorders in this issue summarizes current knowledge about these challenging, all-too-prevalent, disorders and their treatment. Included in this section is an article on eating disorders in males, which are often overlooked. In this article, Stewart points out that this is because of the Read More

The idea for a special section on eating disorders in adolescents emerged from the collaborative conversations and enthusiasm for learning that characterized the March 2011 ASAP meeting in New York City: 9-11 to 2011, A 10-year update on Adolescent Psychiatry. The focus of the conference and this special section is on the bridge from research to clinical practice. We stand at a unique moment in time with the tre Read More

Family-based therapy or “Maudsley” has increasing evidence for its efficacy in the treatment of child and adolescent eating disorders. Available in manualized form, widely available, and supported by an ever-increasing research literature, the application of this outpatient treatment continues to be challenging for many front-line clinicians and is a fairly significant departure from previous treatment methods. The current article Read More

The purpose of this article is to review evidence-based pharmacological treatments for eating disorders with a special focus on the adolescent population. Eating disorders commonly present in adolescence, yet little published data are available to guide the adolescent psychiatrist. The use of medications in the context of evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions and co-morbid psychiatric conditions will be discussed. Read More

This article aims to provide background and theory supporting the use of a problem-solving, emotion regulation, and self-esteem module for children and adolescents with eating disorders. Eating disorders typically present in adolescence, and low self-esteem and perfectionism are hallmark features of eating disorder pathology. We will examine how low self-esteem and perfectionism interact and serve as risk factor Read More

Eating disorders (EDs) are serious illnesses whose treatment, particularly with children and adolescents, requires sophisticated integration of skills and techniques from the armamentarium of evidence-based treatments targeting EDs and associated symptoms. Especially difficult to treat are cognitive impairments, because they are both disease specific (e.g., cognitive distortions related to the body itself) and more general (e. Read More

Males have not received much attention in the eating disorders (ED) literature, and adolescent males have received even less. As a result, we have inappropriately extrapolated from the adult literature, and many commonly held assumptions have gone unchallenged. This paper discusses some of the most common assumptions made about EDs in adolescent males, and reviews the evidence for those assumptions. Specifically, t Read More

Bipolar disorder (BD) is an uncommon, but not rare, psychiatric disorder, that often has its onset during adolescence. This disorder is associated with a significant burden of illness both during adolescence and in subsequent adult life. Although a serious and persistent mental illness, it can be treated effectively so that functional impairment is minimized. Early diagnosis and prompt and effective treatment is important. This arti Read More

Although marijuana dependency is probably the least severe of the drug dependencies in terms of acuity and severity of negative consequences, it is one of the most difficult to treat. In this paper I propose that some of the difficulty in treating marijuana dependency in adolescence is due to the adolescent's impairment in recognizing the negative effects of regular use. This impairment in recognizing impairment is the result of th Read More

This article addresses the bioethical implications of child and adolescent mental health services for Guantanamo minor detainees, hitherto unexplored since the American War on Terror. First, the literature on child soldiers is reviewed as a standard to measure treatment of minor detainees. Next, frameworks for mental evaluations with children and adolescents are surveyed given the complexity of issues involved. Read More

Increasing awareness of the prevalence of mental illness in children and adolescents has been followed by an awareness of the global burden—economic and social, in addition to the suffering of individuals and their families. The Institute of Medicine recently acknowledged that insufficient attention has been paid to attempting to reduce the global burden of mental illness. In light of what we know about development and th Read More

More than half a century since the creation of the first specialized units in the USA and the U.K., inpatient treatment of adolescents remains an illustrative example of the difficulties in integrating adolescent services in mental health care systems. Through a literature review, the various parameters of adolescent hospitalization in psychiatry are examined. Among the different “solutions”, admission to general (adult) psyc Read More

Objective: To retrospectively evaluate comorbid conditions including cognitive and social performance in a cohort of ADHD referred children and adolescents. Method: A population of 187 children and adolescents was referred to an outpatient clinic for Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Norway regarding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Examinations of the population were done using interviews and questi Read More

The recurrent nature of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and its frequent association with multiple psychopathological conditions makes it a challenge for assessment and treatment. While the behavior can often be effectively addressed in a hospital setting, the short term stays that are typical in the current environment make it unlikely that therapeutic gains will be maintained following discharge. The result is often therapeutic ni Read More

Full text available.

Full text available.

Full text available.