Child Psychiatry Course

Lesson 1 • History and Scope of the Field

Traces child psychiatry from early institutional care to modern evidence-based practice. Grounds students in the field's evolution and professional identity.

Lesson 2 • Ethical and Legal Principles

Covers consent, confidentiality, and mandatory reporting obligations specific to minors. Prepares students to navigate ethical dilemmas in clinical settings.

Lesson 3 • Biopsychosocial Model in Children

Applies the biopsychosocial model to pediatric mental health, integrating biological, psychological, and social factors. Provides a unifying lens for all subsequent clinical content.

Lesson 1 • Resilience and Protective Factors

Identifies factors that buffer children against adversity and promote healthy outcomes. Integrates resilience concepts into clinical assessment and treatment planning.

Lesson 2 • Adolescent Development and Identity

Analyzes puberty, identity formation, and risk-taking behavior in teenagers. Prepares students to assess adolescent-specific psychiatric concerns accurately.

Lesson 3 • Preschool and School-Age Development

Examines cognitive, emotional, and social growth from ages three through twelve. Links developmental expectations to common psychiatric presentations in this age group.

Lesson 4 • Theories of Child Development

Reviews major developmental theories including psychodynamic, cognitive, and attachment frameworks. Provides theoretical grounding for interpreting clinical presentations.

Lesson 1 • Mental Status Examination in Children

Adapts the adult mental status exam to developmental levels across childhood. Covers appearance, affect, cognition, and thought content in age-appropriate terms.

Lesson 2 • The Diagnostic Interview Process

Teaches structured and semi-structured interview techniques adapted for children and adolescents. Establishes rapport-building as foundational to accurate data collection.

Lesson 3 • Formulation and Diagnostic Impression

Synthesizes assessment data into a biopsychosocial formulation and differential diagnosis. Bridges evaluation to treatment planning using structured clinical reasoning.

Lesson 4 • Standardized Rating Scales and Tools

Introduces validated rating scales for common childhood disorders and their appropriate use. Students learn to select, administer, and interpret tools within a broader assessment.

Lesson 1 • Tic Disorders and Tourette Syndrome

Describes tic phenomenology, Tourette syndrome criteria, and evidence-based behavioral and pharmacological treatments. Addresses stigma and school-based management.

Lesson 2 • Autism Spectrum Disorder

Examines ASD diagnostic features, screening tools, and multimodal intervention approaches. Emphasizes early identification and family-centered care.

Lesson 3 • Learning and Communication Disorders

Covers specific learning disorders, language disorders, and their impact on academic and social functioning. Links these conditions to psychiatric presentations.

Lesson 4 • Intellectual Disability

Defines intellectual disability by adaptive functioning and cognitive criteria, and outlines psychiatric comorbidities. Teaches assessment adaptations for this population.

Lesson 1 • Anxiety Disorders in Children

Covers separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and specific phobias using diagnostic criteria. Teaches cognitive-behavioral and exposure-based treatments.

Lesson 2 • Bipolar Spectrum Disorders in Youth

Examines the controversial diagnosis of pediatric bipolar disorder, its presentation, and mood stabilizer use. Differentiates bipolar disorder from ADHD and DMDD.

Lesson 3 • Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders

Covers PTSD, acute stress disorder, and adjustment disorders resulting from childhood adversity. Teaches trauma-informed assessment and evidence-based trauma therapies.

Lesson 4 • Depressive Disorders in Youth

Covers major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. Addresses developmental differences in symptom presentation.

Lesson 1 • Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa

Examines diagnostic criteria, medical complications, and family-based treatment for eating disorders in youth. Addresses weight restoration and nutritional rehabilitation.

Lesson 2 • Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

Distinguishes ARFID from anorexia and covers sensory, fear-based, and low-interest subtypes. Teaches behavioral and feeding therapy approaches.

Lesson 3 • Enuresis and Encopresis

Covers functional elimination disorders, their medical workup, and behavioral treatment protocols. Addresses the psychiatric impact of elimination disorders on self-esteem.

Lesson 1 • Mood Stabilizers and Antipsychotics

Reviews lithium, valproate, and atypical antipsychotics for pediatric mood and psychotic disorders. Emphasizes metabolic monitoring and long-term safety.

Lesson 2 • Stimulants and Non-Stimulant ADHD Medications

Details mechanisms, dosing, titration, and side effect profiles of ADHD medications. Teaches management of common adverse effects and treatment non-response.

Lesson 3 • Principles of Pediatric Psychopharmacology

Covers pharmacokinetic differences in children, off-label prescribing, and informed consent for medication. Establishes a framework for rational drug selection.

Lesson 4 • Antidepressants and Anxiolytics

Covers SSRIs, SNRIs, and adjunctive agents for pediatric anxiety and depression. Addresses the black-box warning for suicidality and monitoring requirements.

Lesson 1 • Family-Based and Systemic Therapies

Covers structural, strategic, and attachment-based family therapy models. Teaches how to engage families as active agents in a child's treatment.

Lesson 2 • Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents

Adapts DBT skills training for adolescents with emotional dysregulation and self-harm. Covers the four DBT skill modules and family component.

Lesson 3 • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Children

Teaches CBT principles, cognitive restructuring, and behavioral techniques adapted for developmental levels. Covers disorder-specific CBT protocols for anxiety and depression.

Lesson 4 • Play Therapy and Expressive Modalities

Introduces directive and non-directive play therapy and expressive arts approaches for younger children. Links play-based techniques to therapeutic goals.