Straight Talk about Psychiatric Medications for Kids

Is medication the right choice for treating your child's emotional or behavioral problems? How can you be confident that he or she has been properly diagnosed? What do you need to know to get the most benefits from medication treatment, with the least risk? From leading child psychiatrists Timothy Wilens and Paul Hammerness, this book has already empowered many tens of thousands of parents to make tough decisions and become active, informed managers of their children's care. With clarity and compassion, it explains how medications work; their impact on kids' emotions, personality, school performance, and health; the pros and cons of specific treatment options; and much more. In addition to parents, teachers and other school professionals will find this book an ideal reference. New in the Fourth Edition: Extensively revised to include the latest information about medications and their uses, the fourth edition is even more accessible, and includes pullouts, bulleted lists, and "take home points" highlighting critical facts.

Introduction I. What Every Parent Should Know about Psychiatric Medications for Children 1. The Preliminaries: Building a Foundation of Knowledge 2. The Psychopharmacology Evaluation: Finding Out What's Wrong 3. The Diagnosis and Treatment Plan: Laying Out a Strategy to Help Your Child 4. Treatment and Beyond: Collaborating in Your Child's Ongoing Care II. Common Childhood Psychiatric Disorders 5. Attentional and Disruptive Behavioral Disorders 6. Anxiety-Related Disorders 7. Mood Disorders 8. Autism Spectrum Disorder 9. Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders 10. Disorders of Known Medical and Neurological Origin 11. Other Mental Health Disturbances Affecting Children and Adolescents III. The Psychotropic Medications 12. The Stimulants and Nonstimulants for ADHD 13. The Antidepressants 14. The Mood Stabilizers 15. The Anxiety-Breaking Medications 16. The Alpha Agonists and Antihypertensives 17. The Antipsychotics 18. Medications for Sleep, Bedwetting, and Other Problems Appendix A. Representative Medication Preparations and Sizes Used for the Treatment of Childhood Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Appendix B. Medication Log Resources Bibliography

Timothy E. Wilens, MD, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. Board certified in child, adolescent, adult, and addiction psychiatry, Dr. Wilens conducts research, lectures, and publishes widely on child and adolescent psychiatric issues. Paul G. Hammerness, MD, is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Medical Director of Outpatient Psychiatry at Boston Childrens Hospital. Board certified in child and adolescent psychiatry, Dr. Hammerness is an experienced clinician, educator, and researcher.