Abstract
Many people, parents, teachers and others who work with young people, and the youngsters themselves, are uncertain about the field of child and adolescent mental health. Questions such as: what is normal development, do all adolescents get depressed or have crises, what kinds of psychiatric disorders do children and adolescents suffer from, and what treatments are available are frequently asked. There are not many books written for a UK readership and this multi-authored volume aims to fill the gap.
The book is written in six sections, covering child development, parenting, school, emotional health, specific disorders and problems, and treatments. The largest section is on specific disorders and problems such as abuse and neglect, ADHD, autism, tics and obsessions, mood disorders, self harm and conduct problems. The chapters are written in short sections to facilitate understanding, and assume no prior knowledge. The disorders/problems chapters have similar sub-headings and provide a description of the problem, give an account of how it is recognised and treated. The chapter on divorce and loss includes do’s and don’ts to guide those talking to children about these matters. Many of the chapters include clinical case vignettes, some include humorous cartoons, and they end with references or a list of support organizations in the UK and informative websites established by organizations from other countries. The contributors are child and adolescent psychiatrists working in the UK, many of whom are internationally known experts in their fields.
The book achieves its aims admirably, and its informal style, attractive layout, and index will increase its accessibility. The book has a strong UK perspective, which will enhance its usefulness in that country. It has some idiosyncratic features, such as sandwiching the chapter on culture and society inappropriately between two on serious problems, and a rather unbalanced length and organization of chapters. For example, depression which is a common disorder in adolescence is covered by a section of five pages in the mood disorders chapter, while atypical gender development which is extremely rare has its own chapter of eight pages. Nevertheless these problems should not detract from the overall value of the book. It deserves to be widely available in public libraries, schools, GP surgeries as well as child and adolescent mental health services.