Child Psychiatry

Child psychiatry experts care for young people under 18 with mental health conditions ranging from depression and eating disorders to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder. Ahmar M Butt, MD, at Balance TMS, Esketamine, and Psychiatry, PLLC, in Ankeny, Iowa, is board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry. He delivers compassionate care that helps young people overcome their mental health challenges and achieve their potential. Call Balance TMS, Esketamine, and Psychiatry, PLLC, today or schedule a consultation online to benefit from expert child psychiatry.

What is child psychiatry?

Child psychiatry helps children and young people struggling with mental health problems. Many psychiatric disorders can develop in childhood or adolescence, including:

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Eating disorders
• Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Conduct disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Early diagnosis and treatment with the child psychiatry experts at Balance TMS, Esketamine, and Psychiatry, PLLC, is the best way for your child or teenagers to overcome curable disorders and learn to manage lifelong conditions.

What symptoms suggest my child needs psychiatric help?

Any abnormal behaviors occurring over long periods that interfere with home and school life suggest a child psychiatry consultation would be beneficial. Symptoms you should watch for include:

• Persistent agitation
• Falling grades
• Unreasonable anxiety
• Refusing to go to school
• Hyperactivity
• Frequent meltdowns or angry outbursts
• Depression (sadness, despair, and self-loathing)
• Extreme distrust
• Difficulty sleeping
• Losing interest in favorite activities
• Repeated risk-taking
• Frequent nightmares
• Verbal or physical aggression
• Memory and concentration problems
• Interest in suicide
• Open defiance
• Self-harm
• Social isolation
• Significant friend group changes
• Emotional dysregulation (difficulty controlling feelings)

Young people might also experiment with alcohol or drugs, developing a substance use disorder.

One of the challenges parents and caregivers face when assessing behavior is that many children throw occasional tantrums or display other behaviors from this list. For example, most children sometimes act like they have ADHD symptoms without having this disorder. Look out for frequent incidents or dramatic changes.

How does child psychiatry help?

Balance TMS, Esketamine, and Psychiatry, PLLC offers specialized child psychiatry services, beginning with a complete psychiatric and developmental evaluation. This enables your child’s psychiatrist to develop an effective treatment plan, which can include:

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy (talk therapy or counseling) helps children open up about their feelings and problems. Their psychiatrist helps them understand their emotions and work through experiences that influence their mental health. 

Your child also learns how to cope with the challenges mental health disorders cause each day so that they can manage better at school and home.

Medication management

Medications like antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs can help treat psychiatric disorders in some young people. However, the side effect risks aren’t always the same with children as adults. It’s vital to ensure that a skilled child psychiatrist manages your child’s medication to minimize risk and maximize effectiveness.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

TMS uses magnetic energy to reactivate areas of a child’s brain that aren’t functioning correctly. It’s usually reserved for treatment-resistant conditions that don’t improve with medication and psychotherapy.

Your child’s psychiatrist can also make recommendations for their individual education plan (IEP)/504 accommodations at school.

Call Balance TMS, Esketamine, and Psychiatry, PLLC today, or book an appointment online for the best child psychiatry diagnosis and treatment.