ABSTRACT
The psychiatrist or clinician should be prepared to deal with multiple systems, including school, family, individual, and community resources interacting with the family environment. Behavioral problems are quite frequent, and family therapy and behavior modification are often indicated. The identity disorder is included in the child and adolescent section because its age of onset is commonly in late adolescence. Intensive psychotherapy is often needed to help resolve the patient’s tremendous ambivalence. Supportive use of anxiolytics and sometimes even major tranquilizers may be needed. The Stereotypy/Habit Disorder is generally seen in more severely disturbed patients and has a much higher prevalence in institutionalized people with mental retardation. The V Codes are used fairly often in the initial diagnosis of children and adolescents coming into the mental health professional’s office. Family circumstances, school problems, and a more specific parent-child problem cannot always be attributed to an emotional disorder for the child; further investigation is often needed.
