Clinical manual of child and adolescent psychopharmacology

In a rapidly changing and often controversial field, this book is designed to meet the needs of clinicians who want to provide state-of-the-art care to younger patients with psychiatric disorders.

Clinical Manual of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology is a succinct and practical guide, written by expert authorities with both clinical and research expertise, containing a wealth of both evidence-based and scientifically sound information.

It enables practitioners to more effectively address commonly-seen disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), gain new insight into high-profile problems like juvenile suicide, and become better informed regarding conditions, such as anxiety disorders, that frequently go undiagnosed and untreated only to result in life-long impairments.

The text first reviews developmental aspects of pediatric psychopharmacology, explaining why children and adolescents don't always respond to psychopharmacological treatment the same way as adults, and exploring issues pertaining to the safety and efficacy of treatment. It then moves on to specific chapters covering problems that practitioners find most vexing, from ADHD to pediatric major depressive disorder to juvenile-onset schizophrenia.

It also discusses pharmacotherapy for youths who are primarily seen in general medical settings, covering such conditions as functional somatic syndromes and somatoform disorders, eating disorders, sleep disorders, elimination disorders, and delirium.

Among the book's key features: -Reviews the use of both stimulant and nonstimulant agents for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, considering key aspects regarding the implementation and monitoring of patients. -Provides recommendations regarding pharmacological approaches to disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs), stressing an understanding of aggression across the DBD spectrum. -Considers potential benefits and risks of medications for anxiety disorders and assesses drug treatments within the context of psychotherapeutic interventions. -Covers the pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorders, focusing on both drug monotherapy trials and combination pharmacotherapeutic approaches. -Explores the use of atypical antipsychotics and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and other antidepressants for autism and other pervasive developmental disorders, with practical management approaches to these particularly vulnerable patients. -Outlines the diagnosis and treatment of tic disorders-including Tourette's syndrome-as well as the assessment of comorbid ADHD.

Throughout the text, the contributors provide commentary regarding the clinical interpretability of existing literature to better enable clinicians to incorporate research results into their practice.

Both scientifically sound and clinically rich, this manual is a boon to busy practitioners as well as an excellent resource for introductory courses in pediatric psychopharmacology.