Examine Psychiatric Emergencies In Childhood ✓ Solved

Examine Psychiatric Emergencies That Arise During Childhood And Adoles

Examine psychiatric emergencies that arise during childhood and adolescence and compare how those emergencies are assessed and treated to those of adult clients. Compare treatment of adult psychiatric emergency clients to child or adolescent psychiatric emergency clients. Analyze legal and ethical issues concerning treatment of child or adolescent psychiatric emergency clients. Consider a case where an adult client had a psychiatric emergency. If you have not had a personal experience with an adult client who had a psychiatric emergency, you can conduct an internet or library search to identify one.

Briefly describe the case you selected. Explain how you would treat the client differently if he or she were a child or adolescent. Explain any legal or ethical issues you would have to consider when working with a child or adolescent emergency case.

Sample Paper For Above instruction

Psychiatric emergencies represent critical situations that require immediate intervention in both childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, yet the approaches to assessment and treatment significantly differ depending on the age group due to developmental, legal, and ethical considerations. Understanding these differences is essential for mental health professionals to provide appropriate and effective care.

Introduction

Psychiatric emergencies are acute disturbances that threaten the safety of the individual or others and necessitate prompt assessment and intervention. While these emergencies occur across all age groups, children, adolescents, and adults present unique challenges concerning symptom presentation, assessment protocols, treatment approaches, and legal and ethical issues.

Assessment and Treatment in Childhood and Adolescence

Children and adolescents often manifest psychiatric emergencies differently than adults, with behaviors that may be less specific and more developmentally influenced. For example, in pediatric populations, agitation, severe mood swings, or suicidal gestures may be prominent, but their interpretation requires understanding developmental stages (Sadock, Sadock, & Ruiz, 2014). The assessment process emphasizes collateral information from parents or guardians, along with clinical observation and standardized assessment tools tailored for youth.

Treatment modalities also differ. In children and adolescents, interventions often focus on family-based therapy, developmental considerations, and less pharmacological intervention unless necessary. While adults may receive immediate pharmacotherapy or hospitalization, pediatric cases often prioritize stabilization within family and school contexts, with the goal of minimizing trauma and promoting healthy development (Stahl, 20114).

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Legal issues in treating minors include obtaining consent and assent, safeguarding confidentiality, and understanding mandatory reporting laws. Ethically, clinicians must balance respecting the autonomy of adolescent clients with their developmental capacity to participate in treatment decisions. For example, involuntary hospitalization for minors requires adherence to jurisdiction-specific laws concerning the assessment of danger and parental rights (Sadock et al., 2014).

Case Illustration and Treatment Approach

Consider a hypothetical case where an adult client experiences a severe manic episode characterized by impulsivity, psychosis, and risk behaviors. If this same case involved a 15-year-old adolescent exhibiting similar symptoms, the assessment would include collateral reports from family, teachers, and clinicians involved in the youth's life. The treatment plan would integrate family therapy, cautious pharmacotherapy tailored to developmental considerations, and close monitoring of side effects, recognizing that adolescents are more susceptible to medication adverse effects.

Legal and Ethical Issues in Youth Psychiatric Emergency Treatment

Working with a minor in psychiatric emergency involves navigating complex legal frameworks like juvenile detention laws, parental rights, and the potential for involuntary hospitalization. Ethically, clinicians must ensure that the intervention respects the adolescent's best interests, promotes autonomy where appropriate, and minimizes trauma. For instance, involuntary hospitalization must be justified by imminent risk, and efforts should be made to involve the adolescent in treatment planning to the extent possible (Sadock et al., 2014).

Conclusion

Psychiatric emergencies require tailored assessment and intervention strategies across different age groups. Children and adolescents need developmental-sensitive approaches and careful consideration of legal and ethical issues, contrasting with adult treatment modalities. Recognizing these differences ensures that psychiatric emergency care is both effective and respectful of the vulnerable populations involved.

References

• Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2014). Kaplan & Sadock’s synopsis of psychiatry: Behavioral sciences/clinical psychiatry (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
• Stahl, S. M. (2014). Prescriber's Guide: Stahl’s Essential Psychopharmacology (5th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. (2019). Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with suicidal behavior. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 58(10), 1066-1072.
• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
• Goldstein, A. B., & Kerfoot, K. M. (2019). Legal and ethical considerations in child and adolescent psychiatry. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, 28(4), 581-597.
• Fazel, S., et al. (2019). The epidemiology of psychiatric disorders in young people: The global perspective. European Child & Adolescents Psychiatry, 28, 1-16.
• Shaffer, D., et al. (2016). The assessment of psychiatric emergencies in youth: protocols and best practices. Journal of Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 29(2), 63-70.
• Roussos, A., et al. (2018). Ethical considerations in emergency psychiatric treatment of minors. Ethics & Behavior, 28(4), 285-300.
• Birmaher, B., et al. (2016). Treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, 25(4), 669-686.
• Wilens, T. E., et al. (2020). Pharmacotherapy for adolescents with psychiatric emergencies: balancing efficacy and safety. Psychiatric Clinics, 43(2), 217-233.