Need for Child Mental Health Consultation and Paediatricians’ Perception of these Services: A Survey in the West Midlands

Abstract

Background: High rates of psychopathology have been noted in children presenting to GP surgeries and paediatricians. However, paediatricians do not always recognise this and when they do the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is often unable to meet their consultation needs. Method: This postal survey looked at paediatricians’ perception of the need for child psychiatry consultation in the West Midlands. Results: The survey confirmed that paediatricians see a significant proportion of children with mental health problems and the findings showed that their need for child psychiatry consultation was not being adequately met. Lack of access to CAMHS was a significant issue. Conclusions: This has implications not only for further development of consultation services within CAMHS but also for improving training in child psychiatry for paediatricians in a more formalised way.

Paediatric Liaison Work by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

“…Staffing provision was high when compared with that for the whole of CAMHS in England (Bradley et al, 2003). Even so, the findings are in line with those from Slowik and Noronha (2004) in the West Midlands, in documenting a perceived need for more accessible child psychiatric consultation services. Larger studies are required to clarify which aspects of service delivery allow the development of the minority of dedicated liaison services identified.…”

“…Specialist CAMH services in this survey were providing a considerable amount of teaching to paediatricians, nurses and medical students, but this was an infrequent activity and might therefore only have token influence on the mental health aspects of paediatric practice. The importance of teaching doctors and other disciplines has been highlighted (Kurtz et al, 1994, Bass, Peveler, & House, 2001; Cockburn & Bernard, 2003; Slowik & Noronha, 2004). Less training is associated with less joint working with child mental health professionals (Fritz & Bergman, 1984).…”

Specific Features of Child Psychiatry in a Multidisciplinary Hospital,Morocco

“…A child will not talk to the psychiatrist unless he is sure that his secret is safely kept [16,17]. The relationship between different doctors, according to Winnicott, doesn't concern only their specialties, but also the difference in their emotional attitude.…”