Psychiatric Assessment of Adolescents and Their Families

The purposes of the psychiatric assessment of the adolescent as delineated by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (1995) are (a) to determine whether psychopathology is present and, if so, to establish a differential diagnosis; (b) to determine whether treatment is indicated; and, (c) if so, to develop treatment recommendations and plans to facilitate the family and adolescent’s cooperative engagement in treatment.