CAMHS Flashcards
A teacher would like help for a 7-yr old boy:
“He is disruptive in class, tends to talk and distract other children, to blurt out answers too quickly, doesn’t finish his school work, and to move around the class a lot. Such a difficult boy”
What is the most likely diagnosis?
ADHD
A GP has referred a 12yr old girl:
•“This is the 18th time I’ve seen her in 3 months. There’s always something: abdominal pains, tiredness, headaches…but all the tests done by Paediatrics are negative. She does worry about schoolwork, and she is missing lots of school.”
What is the most likely diagnosis?
- Anxiety of some sort
- Could be due to undiagnosed ASD leading to difficulties to adjust to a new school
- This is a relatively common thing (think Issy)
- Could be due to undiagnosed ASD leading to difficulties to adjust to a new school
A Youth Offending worker is worried about a 16yr old boy:
“He’s always truanting and hanging out with gangs. Last week he was charged with arson, theft and assault. He can’t seem to control his actions, particularly when he’s drunk, and he’s angry all the time.”
What is the most likely diagnosis?
Conduct Disorder
What are some important biological age-related factors to consider in children?
- Brain still maturing
- Underpins developmental stage
- Underlies age-related differences in symptom pattern
- Increased sensitivity to
- Cannabis-induced psychosis
- Medication side effects (e.g. antipsychotics)
- Reduced efficacy of most anti-depressants
- •Some physical disorders which present with similar symptoms commonly have onset in childhood:
- Epilepsy
- T1DM
- Asthma
What are some important psychological age-related factors to consider in children?
- Need to consider child’s developmental stage:
- Cognition, emotion, moral
- Learning Difficulties can impact on:
- Development
- Likelihood & manifestation of psychiatric disorder.
- Personality not yet set in stone
- Personality Disorder rarely diagnosed in children
What are some important social age-related factors to consider in children?
- Family
- Dependence on parents (parental responsibility)
- Including who make decisions on treatment
- Exposure and sensitivity to family events & processes (eg. parenting skills, abuse)
- Dependence on parents (parental responsibility)
- Impact of environment in childhood
- Abuse
- School/Peers/Bullying
- Alcohol/Substances
- Are less accessible to young children
- But are particularly appealing to adolescents
- Are less accessible to young children
What is the management of psychiatric conditions in children?
- Emphasis on Psychological Therapy and liaising with Social Institutions
- Therapy
- Psycho-education
- Parenting skills
- Individual therapy
- Cognitive / Behavioural therapy
- Supportive / Counselling
- Interpersonal psychotherapy
- Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
- Solution focussed therapy
- Psychodynamic therapy
- Creative therapy
- EMDR
- Family therapy
- Group therapy
- Social Support
- Family
- School
- Social Services
- Wider Community
- Therapy
Define ADHD.
A type of hyperkinetic disorder, with the triad of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity leading to persistent and severe impairment of psychological development.
What are the signs and symptoms of ADHD?
- Impaired attention – lack of persistent task involvement and quickly moving on from incomplete tasks
- Overactivity – characterised by restlessness, talkativeness, noisiness and fidgeting
- Impulsivity
- Present prior to 12 years of age, and of long duration (at least 6 months)
- Impairment present in two or more settings (e.g. home, classroom, clinic)
What is the aetiology/risk factors for ADHD?
- Boys > Girls (3: 1)
- Prevalence of 2.5% (around double that of ASD)
-
Risk Factors:
- FHx
- Prematurity/LBW
- FAS
- ASD
- Learning Disability
What are the appropriate investigations for suspected ADHD?
- Assess social/educational impact in context of age (i.e. making friends if young, dangerous driving if older)
- Rating scales – cannot provide a diagnosis
- Conner’s Comprehensive Behaviour Rating Scale; age 6-18
- Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire
What is the management of ADHD?
-
1st line:
- Watchful waiting for up to 10 weeks
- Group-based ADHD-focused support for parents
- Children <5 years:
- 2nd line:
- ADHD-focused group parent-training programme to parents and carers
- Education on ADHD, parenting strategies, environmental changes
- 3rd line:
- Specialist service referral
- 2nd line:
- Children >5 years:
- 2nd line:
- ADHD-focused group parent-training programme to parents and carers
- Education on ADHD, parenting strategies, environmental changes
- 3rd line:
- Specialist service referral
-
Medications if ADHD persists:
- 1st line (6 weeks) = methylphenidate trial for 6 weeks
- 2nd line = lisdexamphetamine
- 3rd line = dexamphetamine
- 4th line = atomoxetine (NARI)or guanfacine
- 4th line:
- CBT if problems in social skills, self-control, active listening, dealing with expressing feelings
- 2nd line:
- Other medications:
- Clonidine - sleep disturbance, rages or tics
- Antipsychotics - aggression and irritability
What is the prognosis of ADHD?
- Manifestation of ADHD will change as the child gets older
- Hyperactivity tends to become less of a problem
- Inattention becomes more pronounced as the tasks they face become more complex
- Outcome:
- Some may grow out of it
- 90% get conduct disorder if untreated
- 15% have ADHD as an adult
What are the risk factors for ASD?
- FHx of ASD
- Parental psychotic/affective disorder
- Birth CNS defect
- Prematurity (<35w GA)
- Sodium valproate
- Learning disability
- Chromosomal disorders/Genetic disorders
- ADHD
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
What conditions are associated with ASD?
- Fragile X syndrome
- Tuberous sclerosis
- Neurofibromatosis
- Di-George
- Rett’s syndrome
- Mitochondrial disorders
- Down’s syndrome
- Prader-Willi/Angelman’s syndrome
- Epilepsy
What is Rett syndrome?
- X-linked; MECP2 gene
- Affects girls > boys
- Develop normally until to 2 before sudden deterioration
- Less social interaction
- Struggle to feed