Child and Adolescent Psychopathology Research Essay Paper
The Practitioner’s Strengths and Areas for Improvement
The practitioner demonstrated several strengths in her clinical interview with Tony. In this interview video by YMH Boston (2013), she created a good rapport by speaking gently and compassionately to him and listening closely to his responses. This was important as it would allow Tony to discuss his symptoms and experiences freely. The practitioner used open-ended questions to obtain additional information on Tony’s mood, interests, activities, and relationships. Furthermore, she enquired directly if he had thoughts of committing suicide or whether he planned to end his life. This is vital because it allows for a proper evaluation of Tony’s safety. Child and Adolescent Psychopathology Research Essay Paper
However, there are areas in which the therapist could improve. Not much information about where Tony lives or how he is doing in school can be found in her background inquiries. It would have been helpful if she had asked whether Tony lives with parents or guardians who can provide collateral information. Screening for other psychiatric symptoms such as mania, psychosis, and risk of harm to others is also essential. The therapist should have probed for support systems and resources available for Tony.
Compelling Concerns
My most pressing concern after interviewing Tony is his disclosure of suicidal thoughts, including not wanting to be alive and thinking about ways to hurt himself. These statements show that Tony is having thoughts about killing himself that are of considerable clinical concern and put his life in danger. To completely understand the level, intensity, and immediacy of Tony’s suicidal ideas, it is essential to undertake a detailed suicide risk assessment. Some critical areas include finding out if Tony has decided on a specific method he would use to kill himself, whether he has access to things that could be used for this purpose, if Tony is giving away his belongings or saying goodbye as part of his preparation for attempted suicide and when such thoughts are planned to become actions. Child and Adolescent Psychopathology Research Essay Paper
Direct inquiries like “Have you thought about how or when you might try to hurt yourself?” give essential details that help determine the situation’s urgency. The information will guide safety planning decisions involving parents, consulting with peers, psychiatric hospitalization, or other interventions necessary to keep Tony safe. Suicidal ideation in an adolescent is an emergency requiring prompt evaluation and intervention. Understanding more about Tony’s risk factors, protective factors, suicidal thinking, and circumstances will inform what intervention steps can be taken next in order to minimize risk as well as address his mental health issues better.
Importance of Comprehensive Psychiatric Assessment in Youth
Children’s and adolescent’s thorough psychiatric assessment is essential for several reasons. First, it will be identified early in the kid’s life. According to Syakarofath, Nuro, and Karimun (2023), treating this disorder may be more effective when addressing them at their nascent stages. Developing brains have greater neuroplasticity; hence, early interventions lead to better outcomes. Secondly, obtaining collateral information from sources such as parents and teachers, among others, gives a comprehensive view of the symptoms and behaviors of the child in different settings. It helps address symptoms that may look different at home, school, or with friends. Thirdly, the assessment will gather sufficient details to determine the correct diagnosis, symptom severity, and functional impairments that are essential in prioritizing treatment needs depending on the developmental level of a patient. In children/adolescents, psychiatric disorders present differently from those found in adults. Child and Adolescent Psychopathology Research Essay Paper
Symptom Rating Scales for Child/Adolescent Assessment
There are a number of symptom rating scales that can be helpful in the psychiatric evaluation of children and adolescents. The revised child anxiety and depression scale (RCADS) is an example that screens for signs of anxiety and depression among youth between 8-18 years (Radez et al., 2021). It has subscales for specific major anxiety disorders and depressive disorders. RCADS has been found to have excellent reliability, validity, and normative data from large samples. Child behavior checklist (CBCL) and youth self-report (YSR) developed by the Achenbach system of empirical-based assessment are broadband rating scales measuring different emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents (Pace et al., 2023). They have versions for parents, teachers, or self-reports. These instruments demonstrate robust psychometric properties, including high reliabilities and validities and national normative samples. Employing standardized scales known to possess defined properties among pediatric groups enables the calculation of scores indicating clinical severity, follow-up changes over time, comparison with normative scoring values, etc. This degree of measurement entails quantification and monitoring, which is crucial to evidence-based diagnosis and treatment techniques. The application of validated scales as part of psychiatric assessment regularly provides objective metrics that guide clinical decisions regarding patient care while offering measurable outcomes. Child and Adolescent Psychopathology Research Essay Paper
Treatment Options and Role of Parents in the Assessment
Some psychiatric treatments for children and adolescents differ from typical adult interventions. For example, parent management training is an efficient family therapy approach to disruptive behaviors in children. According to McCart, Sheidow, and Jaramillo (2023), this involves teaching parents’ strategies to reinforce positive behavior and discourage problematic conduct. Therefore, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) become vital educational support for students with school-impairing psychiatric symptoms. IEPs can accommodate these by allowing the students to have extra time on assignments, separate testing, or even modify their schedules.
The history of child development, as provided by parents, helps in assessment, while observation at home helps identify symptoms and signs, among others, that may be used in treatment planning and coordination; all these aspects reflect the essential role played by parents/guardians during this process. What parents know about their children can tell more about how they function across multiple environments (Del Casale et al., 2021). An extensive evaluation of patients should involve working together with families if it has to be targeted at individuals who have psychological disorders like schizophrenia that require long-term care. Child and Adolescent Psychopathology Research Essay Paper
References
Del Casale, A., Zocchi, C., Kotzalidis, G. D., Fiaschè, F., & Girardi, P. (2021). Prevention of depression in children, adolescents, and young adults: the role of teachers and parents. Psychiatry International, 2(3), 353-364. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint2030027
McCart, M. R., Sheidow, A. J., & Jaramillo, J. (2023). Evidence base update of psychosocial treatments for adolescents with disruptive behavior. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 52(4), 447-474. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2022.2145566
Pace, C. S., Muzi, S., Frigerio, A., Morganti, W., Bianchi, V., & Rogier, G. (2023). Twenty years of emotional-behavioral problems of community adolescents living in Italy measured through the Achenbach system of empirically based assessment (ASEBA): a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1161917. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1161917
Radez, J., Waite, P., Chorpita, B., Creswell, C., Orchard, F., Percy, R., … & Reardon, T. (2021). Using the 11-item Version of the RCADS to Identify Anxiety and Depressive Disorders in Adolescents. Research on child and adolescent psychopathology, 49, 1241-1257. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-021-00817-w
Syakarofath, N. A., Nuro, F. R. M. A., & Karimun, M. (2023). Developing guidelines for early detection of child and adolescent mental health problems. Journal of Community Service and Empowerment, 4(1), 152-161. https://doi.org/10.22219/jcse.v4i1.24424
YMH Boston. (2013, May 22). Vignette 5 – assessing for depression in a mental health appointment. YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/Gm3FLGxb2ZU?si=f47Gpq9wulufrBdF. Accessed on 24th February 2024.
The Tony interview by the social worker.
This is the video interview that I put in detail. This is the link of the video: https://youtu.be/Gm3FLGxb2ZU?si=f47Gpq9wulufrBdF ( please watch ) Child and Adolescent Psychopathology Research Essay Paper
Tony, an adolescent, was referred to a social worker by his medical provider due to symptoms of depression and anxiety that he reported on his physical exam. The social worker asked Tony about his mood. Tony did not know what the social worker meant by mood, and the social worker proceeded to ask him if he had been feeling sad or depressed.
Tony: not really
Social worker: have you been crying a lot?
Tony: I don’t really cry. Child and Adolescent Psychopathology Research Essay Paper
Social worker: have you been feeling hopeless?
Tony: no.
Social worker: Have you been feeling angry?
Tony: I guess I feel angry sometimes, and I feel I want to fight someone.
Social worker: we can definitively talk about that. Do you ever feel like you have no energy and are not interested in anything?
Tony: I like basketball, but sometimes I have no energy to play. I don’t like school; I used to have all A&B’s, but my grade is going down because I don’t do my homework anymore just because I don’t like it, and it is even harder getting up in the morning.
Social worker: do you use drugs or alcohol?
Tony: I guess I have a beer or two with friends sometimes.
Tony expressed that he has been feeling that way for two months since he broke up with his girlfriend, which makes him angry with her and anyone. He states that his heart is beating fast when thinking about that. Tony expressed that he did not even want to be alive.
Social worker: have you thought of doing something to hurt yourself? Child and Adolescent Psychopathology Research Essay Paper
Tony: Yes.
COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRATED PSYCHIATRIC ASSESSMENT
Based on the YMH Boston Vignette 5 video, post answers to the following questions:
• What did the practitioner do well? In what areas can the practitioner improve?
• At this point in the clinical interview, do you have any compelling concerns? If so, what are they?
• What would be your next question, and why?
Then, address the following. Your answers to these prompts do not have to be tailored to the patient in the YMH Boston video.
• Explain why a thorough psychiatric assessment of a child/adolescent is important.
• Describe two different symptom rating scales that would be appropriate to use during the psychiatric assessment of a child/adolescent.
• Describe two psychiatric treatment options for children and adolescents that may not be used when treating adults.
• Explain the role parents/guardians play in assessment.
Support your response with at least three peer-reviewed, evidence-based sources and explain why each of your supporting sources is considered scholarly. Attach the PDFs of your sources. Child and Adolescent Psychopathology Research Essay Paper
Note :
My thought: the practitioner does well in assessing safety by asking if the patient has thought of hurting himself. She needs to improve in asking for the guardian of the adolescent and environment. Another important point is to ask if the patient has thought of hurting someone else. You can develop that in the discussion question as well. Child and Adolescent Psychopathology Research Essay Paper
