ABSTRACT
Emotional disorders of childhood .................................. 185 Self-harm ................................................................... 188 Mental disorders ......................................................... 190 Summary ................................................................... 192 Further reading ........................................................... 192
In this chapter we cover the disorders that are usually identied in childhood and adolescence or are specic to that developmental period. It is probably most helpful to categorize the disorders as behavioural, neurodevelopmental and emotional, although there is oen overlap. It is also helpful to divide childhood into under-ves, childhood and adolescence (over 12 years of age). is enables the disorders to be seen in the context of expected developmental stages. It may be obvious, but in assessing child disorders, child
development (physical, social, emotional, cognitive, moral) and family relationships are crucial components of the process. e aetiology chapter will have alerted you to the environmental factors that inuence the development of mental health problems. For children the key environmental factors that may be signicant are the family and school. For each disorder, a denition is provided before describing the prevalence and risk factors. e presentation features, any issues pertaining to assessment and management are then discussed. A clinical case scenario is presented to provide a clinical picture.
