The rise of mental health disturbances during childhood and adolescence has become evident, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinicians and researchers have been trying to understand why today's children are perhaps more emotionally distressed than they used to be. This in turn can help to determine how best to support childhood mental health.
Today's most prevalent childhood psychiatric disorders are discussed through a lens that takes context and environment into account. A deeper understanding of the meaning and associated factors of these conditions is explored. The content of this presentation rests on evidence-based research, psychoanalytical theory and the presenter's clinical experience.
The talk attempts to answer the following questions:
· How common are childhood mental disorders today?
· Is childhood psychiatric diagnosis increasing?
· What are the current trends in childhood psychopathology
· How to help ADHD children, including diagnostic labelling and the use of medication
· How to think about gender identity and psychodiagnostics
· What to do when childhood psychiatric diagnosis is not the answer
Calabash · South Africa