Child Psychiatry - An Emerging Subspeciality

Psychiatry itself is a new branch of medicine. It is now practised as the application of basic neurosciences to every person's day-to-day problems; this has helped to remove the old misconceptions and stigma about psychiatric consultations.

Using the latest research techniques, researchers today know that the mind is generated by the brain. We ‘think’ and ‘feel’ inside the brain. The mind’s functions such as thinking, feeling, learning, speaking or writing are carried out by specific biochemicals in designated areas of the brain. Any developmental delay in these areas can cause learning, behavior and emotional disorders.

With the rapidly changing family and social structure in our country in these times, learning and behavior problems in children have compounded in the recent past.

Hence the emergence of Child Psychiatry as a subspecialty.

The Team

Unlike in adults, children tend to have an overlap of developmental, neurological, academic and emotional disorders- at the same time, in the same child. Therefore, a team of specialists from all related fields is required to evaluate children with difficulties.

Such a multidisciplinary approach is made possible in our Child Guidance Clinic (CGC) by having clinical and educational psychologists, social workers, special educators, language pathologist, speech therapist, neurologist and consultant psychiatrists in the team for appropriate guidance and treatment.

The Setting

The team at our Child Guidance Clinic (CGC) works in the open setting that encourages children and their parents to walk in with an appointment and seek help for learning and behavior problems, emotional problems or poor school performance (PSP) without fear or stigma.

Educational boards, schools and teachers also access this nationally renowned, authentic resource centre, where they confidently seek an expert opinion about their students.

This CGC has become a model for services in the private sector for children with various learning and behaviour disorders.

FROM THE NEWS

Adult Psychiatry

Policlinic
A.M. Thomas Road, Near Kotackal Vaidyasala,
Ernakulam, Kochi- 682016,
Kerala, India
Phone: +91 (484) 6463193, 2376598
Fax: +91 (484) 2306883

Child Psychiatry

Child Guidance Clinic
A.M. Thomas Road, Near Kotackal Vaidyasala,
Ernakulam, Kochi- 682016,
Kerala, India
Phone: +91 (484) 6500755
Fax: +91 (484) 2306883

Overseas Services

Child Guidance Clinic
Habib Ag Zurich Building
Bank Street, Rolla,
Sharjah, UAE
Phone: +971509331053, +97165688707