Child Psychiatry Q & A

What ages does child psychiatry treat?

At Adelpha Psychiatric Group, child psychiatry includes mental health care for young children and adolescents (teenagers).

Child psychiatry also covers the mental health needs of transition aged youth, including young people 16-25 struggling with severe and persistent mental illnesses.

When do children need child psychiatry?

Children need psychiatric care if they struggle with their thoughts, moods, and behaviors. Adelpha Psychiatric Group treats the complete spectrum of childhood mental, developmental, and behavioral disorders and problems, including:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Grief
  • Eating disorders
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Gender dysphoria disorder
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • Schizoaffective disorder
  • Substance use disorder

Children often develop problems at school and struggle at home when facing mental, developmental, or behavioral health problems. If your child’s behavior has changed dramatically and there’s no apparent reason, Adelpha Psychiatric Group can provide your family with the help they need.

What does child psychiatry consist of?

Child psychiatry is a branch of medicine focusing on young people’s mental health; that care extends to whole-body wellness. At Adelpha Psychiatric Group, the two main types of care are psychotherapy and medication management.

Psychotherapy includes many different methods of talk therapy, in which children can discuss their challenges, learn more about the problem or disorder they’re facing, and get specific tools to cope with their symptoms.

Medication management involves getting a prescription for the medication best suited to your child’s needs. Many drugs are used in child psychiatry. The team prescribes only when appropriate and closely monitors your child’s response to the medication.

Why is it so hard to get child psychiatry appointments today?

The demand for child psychiatrists far outstrips the number of specialists available. Over the last few decades, the need has increased exponentially, so wait lists are often quite long. Many areas don’t even have specialists to help children with mental health needs.

Adelpha Psychiatric Group is proud to have several physicians with special training in child, adolescent, and transition aged youth psychiatry. This allows the practice to serve the Pasadena and Encino areas with complete psychiatric care.

To inquire about child psychiatry appointments, call the Adelpha Psychiatric Group office nearest you now or request an appointment online.