Abstract
From the preceding chapters it should be clear that emotional and behavioural problems in children arise from an interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. Treatment, to be effective, must be directed towards one or more of these three areas. Thus for a child whose presenting symptom is hyperkinesis, the child psychiatrist might choose to intervene at the biological level (e.g. through medication), at the psychological level (e.g. helping the child find more acceptable ways of dealing with his anxiety), or at the social level (e.g. helping the parents develop more adequate techniques of managing the child’s behaviour, helping them to cope more appropriately with their frustration, consulting the child’s teacher about problems in learning and classroom behaviour). This multilevel approach, of course, is not unique to psychiatry. The treatment of tuberculosis, for example, extends beyond a chemotherapeutic attack on the tubercle bacillus to include such preventive measures as eliminating malnutrition, treating alcoholism, and upgrading substandard living conditions, as all these social problems increase susceptibility to tuberculosis.
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Recommended For Further Reading
ALDRICM, C. K. “Office Psychotherapy for the Primary Care Physician”, in Arieti, S., and Caplan, G., eds., American Handbook of Psychiatry. 2nd ed. rev., Vol 5: 739–56, New York, Basic Books, 1975. —after discussing the role of the primary care physician, provides an excellent review of major issues involved in the process of diagnosis and psychotherapy. Clinical examples and bibliography.
ANTHONY, E. J. “Psychotherapy of Adolescence” in Caplan, G., ed., American Handbook of Psychiatry, 2nd ed. Vol. 2: 234–50, New York, Basic Books, 1974. —a clear, readable discussion of the preconditions for psychotherapy and the problems and techniques of individual psychotherapy with adolescents.
BALSER, B. H. Psychotherapy of the Adolescent New York, International Univ. Press, 1957. —a comprehensive description of different levels of psychiatric practice, with special emphasis on the role of the school.
BARTEN, H. H., and BARTEN, S. S. Children and Their Parents in Brief Therapy. New York, Behavioral Publications, 1973. —the papers included illustrate a range of short-term approachers to psychotherapy with children and their families.
BERMAN, S. “The Relationship of the Private Practitioner of Child Psychiatry to Prevention.” J. Amer. Acad. Child Psychiat. 13: 593–603, 1974. —discusses the contribution of the child psychiatrist in private practice to child mental-health services and the importance of coordinating his/her participation with programs related to prevention, mental-health legislation, and mental-health training.
BIJOU, S.W., and REDD, W.H. “Behavior Therapy for Children”, in Freedman, D.X. and Dyrud, J.E., eds., American Handbook of Psychiatry. 2nd ed. rev., Vol 5: 319–44, New York, Basic Books, 1975. —presents a number of theoretical models and discusses a variety of therapeutic procedures. Extensive bibliography.
BLOS, P. and FINCH., S.M. “Psychotherapy with Children and Adolescents”, in Freedman, D.X., and Dyrud, J.E., eds., American Handbook of Psychiatry. 2nd ed. rev. Vol 5: 133–62, New York, Basic Books, 1975. —a clear, well-organized description providing the theoretical framework and discussing many issues and technical problems involved in psychotherapy with children and adolescents. An excellent introduction to the area with an extensive bibliography.
BROWN, D. G. “Behaviour Modification with Children”. Mental Hygiene. 56,1: 22–30, 1972. —a clear statement of applications of behaviour modification to treatment of children.
CAREY, W. B. and SIBINGA, M. S. “Avoiding Pediatric Pathogenesis in the Management of Acute Minor Illness”. Pediats. 49: 553–62, 1972. —outlines mistakes psysicians commonly make in managing acute minor illnesses which leave the child’s and parents’ emotional adjustment at risk. Contains suggestions for primary prevention and research.
CHURCHILL, S.R. “Social Group Work: A Diagnostic Tool in Child Guidance”. Amer. J. Orthopsychiat. 35: 581–88, 1965. —the use of a diagnostic group by a social group worker may assist greatly in evaluating a child’s social skills and liabilities. The description and clinical examples give an understanding of how this form of group work with children can be used in treatment as well.
EASSON, W.M. The Severely Disturbed Adolescent. New York, International Univ. Press, 1969. —description of in-patient residential and hospital treatment of seriously disturbed adolescents.
FREUD, A. The Psychonalytical Treatment of Children. New York, International Univ. Press, 1965. —an authoritative description of the psychoanalytic treatment of children from one of the pioneers of the field.
GINOTT, H.G. Group Psychotherapy with Children. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1961. —a comprehensive introduction to the area.
GRAZIANO, A.M. Behavior Therapy with Children. Chicago, Aldine/Atherton, 1971. —a highly technical survey of the area; a useful reference for the serious student of behaviour therapy.
Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry. The Field of Family Therapy. Vol. 7, gap Report no. 78, 1970. —a competent, fairly recent review of the area.
LAUFFER, M. W.; LAFFREY, J.J.; and DAVIDSON, R.E. “Residential Treatment for Children and its Derivatives”, in Caplan, G., ed., American Handbook of Psychiatry. 2nd ed. rev. Vol. 2: 193–210, New York, Basic Books, 1974. —surveys the types of settings, criteria for placement, techniques and problems of treatment in a variety of residential and day-care treatment settings.
LESTER, E. P. “Brief Psychotherapies in Child Psychiatry”. Canad. Psychiat. Assoc. J. 13: 301–9, 1968. —describes issues related to time-limited intervention.
NOSHPITZ, J.D. “Residential Treatment of Emotionally Disturbed Children”, in Arieti, S., and Caplan, G., eds., American Handbook of Psychiatry, 2nd ed. Vol. 5: 634–51. New York, Basic Books, 1975. —a good introduction to issues of administrative structure, selection, and fit of patients; good discussion of milieu therapy and life space interviewing; some discussion of role of psychotherapy, problems in role clarity, collaboration, and accountability; issues around schooling and discharge.
ROSENTHAL, A.J., and LEVINE, S.V. “Brief Psychotherapy with Children: Process of Therapy”. Amer. J. Psychiat. 128: 141–46, 1971–72. —examines techniques and content of brief psychotherapy with children.
SAUR, V. Conjoint Family Therapy. Rev. ed. Palo Alto, Science and Behaviour Books, 1967. —written mainly in point form, this small but useful book is a good introduction to understanding the family as a social system in equilibrium. The chapter on the inclusion of children is particularly helpful. (136–59).
SCHOPLER, E., and REICHLER, R.J. “Parents as Co-Therapists in the Treatment of Psychotic Children”. J. Autism and Child Schiz. 1: 87–102, 1971. —describes and evaluates a treatment program for psychotic and autistic children in which parents are taught to function as effective co-therapists.
WERRY, J.S., and WOLLERSHEIM, J.P. “Behaviour Therapy with Children: A Broad Overview”. J. Amer. Acad. Child Psychiat. 6: 346–70, 1967. —a competent review of the area.
Additional Reading
MANN, JAMES. Time-Limited Psychotherapy. Cambridge, Mass. Harvard Univ. Press, 1973.
REIDY, J. J. “An Approach to Family-Centered Treatment in a State Institution”. Amer. J. Orthopsychiat. 32: 133–42, 1962.
WATSON, J.B. and RAYNER, R. “Conditioned Emotional Reactions”. J. Exper. Psych. 3: 1–14, 1920.
SIFNEOS, P.E. “Two Different Kinds of Psychotherapy of Short Duration”. Amer. J. Psychiat. 123: 1069–74, 1967.
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© 1977 Macmillan Publishers Limited
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Mushin, D.N. (1977). General Principles of Treatment in Child Psychiatry. In: Steinhauer, P.D., Rae-Grant, Q. (eds) Psychological Problems of the Child and His Family. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-81464-0_22
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-81464-0_22
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