Child Psych Flashcards
is this normal or abnormal:
3 year old throwing tantrums, won’t eat or sleep when told, tiring out mother
normal
is this normal or abnormal:
7 year old disrupting class, doesn’t finish school work, blurts out answers too quickly
can be normal or abnormal - ADHD type picture but could be behavioural
is this normal or abnormal:
12 year old, seen 18 times in past 3 months with various physical health issues. Worries a lot about school work.
Abnormal - ?somatisation of anxiety
is this normal or abnormal:
16 year old boy truanting and hanging out with gangs. always angry, drinking alcohol. charged with arson, theft and assault and can’t seem to control his actions
Abnormal
Describe general CAMHS Mx
- emphasis on psychological therapy
- liase with school / family / social services
- less emphasis on medication
medication for hyperkinetic disorder
methylphenidate
medication for OCD
sertraline / SSRIs
medication for depression
fluoxetine
medication for psychoses
atypical anti psychotics
medication for bipolar
mood stabilisers / anti psychotics
describe normal anxiety development in children
9 months-3 years = separation anxiety
3-6 years = animals / darkness / monsters
6-12 years = performance anxiety
12-18 years = social anxiety
adulthood = illness / death
prevalence & typical age of onset of separation anxiety
3%
<6 years
prevalence & typical age of onset of specific phobias
3%
>6 years
prevalence & typical age of onset of social anxiety
5%
11 to 15
prevalence & typical age of onset of generalised anxiety
3%
Increases through teens
prevalence & typical age of onset of panic disorder
5%
late teens
prevalence & typical age of onset of OCD
2%
early childhood or late teens
Mx of anxiety
psycho-education for children / parents / family
CBT
medication 2nd line = SSRIs
liaison with school eg for school phobia
prognosis of childhood anxiety
do not persist into adulthood but most adult anxiety are proceeded by anxiety in adolescence
list remission rates of different anxiety disorders from most likely to remiss to least likely
seperation > phobias > generalised > panic > OCD
when would a child with sadness be classified with depressive disorder
prolonged episode / recurrent episodes
other depressive sx children present with
somatic sx
irritability
social withdrawal / school refusal / change in academic performance
is depression common in prepubertal children? post pubertal?
no
yes - 5%
comorbid conditions that present with depression
anxiety
conduct disorder
hyperkinetic disorders
key mx points of depression
psychoeducation
advice on sleep /exercise / diet
mange environmental stressors - eg work with schools if bullying
mx of mild depression
watchful waiting for 2 weeks by GP / counsellor / social worker
3 months CBT
mx of moderate-severe depression
referral to CAMHS
3 months CBT / family therapy / psychodyanmic psychothgerapy / interpersonal / brief psychosocial intervention
then switch psychological therapy or SSRI
what is the ONLY SSRI approved for tx of depression in children / adolescents
why is it the only one?
fluoxetine
only one with favourable risk:benefit profile
when would you admit a child with depression
LAST RESORT
- high risk
- poor home supervision / support
- intensive assessment required
key side effect to monitor of fluoxetine
increased suicidality (DSH, suicidal thoughts)
how does Mx of depression in children differ from adults
children
- focus on multiple psychotherapy 1st line
- only use fluoxetine
- rarely use fluoxetine alone
- much more intensive monitoring initially
adults
- first line is CBT
- can offer SSRI alone
prognosis of untreated depression
- 1/3 remit in 2 months
- 10% depressed after 1 year
proportion of children with depression who relapse
1/3 relapse
what are children with depression at higher risk of in adulthood
increased long term risk of suicide attempts / bipolar / hospitalisation
what does bipolar diagnosis in children involve
clear manic episode with euphoria over several days
Sx of bipolar
irritability
behavioural problems
impulsivity
disinhibition
grandiosity
paranoia
how do bipolar symptoms overlap with other disorders / normal development
normal teenage behaviour / depression / drugs / conduct = irritability, behavioural problems
ADHD / normal teenage behaviour = impulsivity, disinhibition
ego-centrisim is part of normal childhood development = grandiosity, paranoia
how is bipolar differentiated from ADHD
ADHD is continuous, bipolar is phasic
how does psychosis differ in children from adults
children do not have systematic or complex delusions
children’s delusions may reflect concerns specific to child’s development eg monsters
children might not have vocab to express delusion
DDx of child with first onset psychosis
prodromal phase can look like autism
substance misuse
social isolation
PTSD / trauma
age appropriate experiences / behaviours
what is EIP
Early intervention in psychosis
rationale of EIP
intensive early intervention and treatment of psychosis improves outcome
challenges of EIP
prodromal symptoms can look like other conditions so diagnosis is difficult
younger people are more sensitive to side effects of anti psychotics
how is cannabis related to psychosis
dose dependent relationship between cannabis use and schizophrenia / psychosis
if use skunk/other more potent cannabis, or start younger, or smoke more often or FHx of psychosis with cannabis use (increased susceptibility of psychosis when using cannabis) –> massive increase in psychosis risk
why does cannabis cause psychosis in 15-16 year olds more
pruning occurring in brain at this age, so has greater affect on perception and psychosis risk
morbidity of substance misuse in teenagers
8% of deaths in 15-19 year olds