Mental health risk assessments have always been a challenge, even for the most experienced clinicians. Risk assessment involves understanding not just the severity of the reported symptoms but the underlying motivations and the psychosocial circumstances.
Meta-analyses show that medication is an effective treatment pathway in children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD. These medications are also commonly associated with a number of side effects and risk factors for other conditions, which are less well understood by practitioners. This Grand Round intends to balance understanding of the efficacy of ADHD medication with the potential risks, and provide evidence for the safety of ADHD medication prescription in clinical practice.
The Melbourne Children’s Campus (the Campus) has the culture and expertise to provide our infants, children and young people, and their families with world class mental health care (The RCH), built on sound evidence (MCRI), and workforce training and education (University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics). The integration of mental health research, education and care across the Campus underpins the Campus Mental Health Strategy (Strategy), a five-year Strategy that has been funded for the first 2 years by The RCH Foundation. A team of 14 people will lead and implement the Strategy, supported by many leaders and staff from across the Campus.
Mental Health is an issue of growing concern across the community. This has been amplified through the COVID-19 pandemic. Child mental health is also an ongoing priority for the Melbourne Children’s Campus (MCC) and its three partners. The RCH treats many vulnerable patient groups (e.g., children with chronic illness, neurodevelopmental disorders, psychosocial challenges) with elevated risk of psychological and mental health difficulties. This extends across our inpatient and outpatient services and into the community. Despite this, mental health services can be fragmented and difficult to access.
Whilst it is often assumed that there is little in the way of evidence to guide practice in child psychiatry the truth is somewhat more complex. Our evidence base has in fact developed considerably over the last 20 years and whilst there are still many gaps in our understanding it is now possible to practice evidence based healthcare for many developmental mental health problems that affect both children and adolescents.
This presentation will provide an overview of the Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program.new studies related to child mental health, oral health, and children in same sex families.
Somatoform Disorders also known as “functional disorders” and “Medically Unexplained Symptoms” are very common in children and adolescents.
