In the course of their development, children and young people have to acquire various skills. These relate, for example, to the area of emotions or social interaction. They also develop attachment skills as well as language and academic skills.
Adolescents can develop disorders in all of these areas. A mental disorder is primarily characterized by a change in experience and behaviour. A psychosomatic disorder is characterized by physical symptoms that have no organic cause.
However, as the psyche of children differs significantly from that of adults, age-appropriate care for children and adolescents with mental or psychiatric disorders is extremely important.
Child psychology therefore deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of
- psychological (mental),
- psychosomatic,
- developmental and
- neurological
diseases and disorders as well as psychological and social behavioral problems in infancy, childhood and adolescence. The family and social environment of the young patient is always taken into account in all diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
After completing a medical degree, a doctor licensed in Germany can undertake five years of further training to become a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy, during which a set number of diagnostic procedures and therapies must be carried out.
However, psychologists, teachers and social work graduates can also complete three to five years of further training to become a child and adolescent psychotherapist, or KJP for short, in accordance with the Psychotherapists Act.
The correct title for a child psychologist or child psychology specialist is therefore either child and adolescent psychiatrist and psychotherapist or child and adolescent psychotherapist, depending on the therapist's professional background. In future, however, it will also be possible to train as a psychotherapist as part of a separate degree course.
The developmental, psychosomatic, psychological, neurological and social disorders or behavioral problems that a child and adolescent psychiatrist and psychotherapist treats include, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) or elective mutism. In the latter disorder, children's verbal communication is severely impaired.
Also
- Attachment disorders,
- nocturnal enuresis or defecation without an organic cause and
- the broad field of autism spectrum disorders
are also assigned to the field of child psychology.
Some adult mental illnesses can also occur in children and adolescents. For example, some patients already suffer from depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders or schizophrenia in childhood and adolescence.
An expert in child psychology also treats, among other things
- Post-traumatic stress disorders
- Eating disorders such as bulimia oranorexia nervosa
- Personality disorders
- Tic disorders
- Articulation disorders, stuttering (stammering), poluttering
- Neglect, maltreatment, sexual abuse
- Self-harming behavior and suicidal tendencies
- Disorders of gender identity and sexual development and orientation
- Abnormal habits and impulse control disorders
- Non-organic sleep disorders
In contrast to psychiatry and psychotherapy in adulthood, the child's social and family environment plays a decisive role in the diagnosis of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy. The history is often taken together with the family or foster family or a youth welfare facility.
Standardized psychological tests, such as intelligence tests or reading and spelling tests, are also used. There are also test procedures to assess socio-emotional status or sensorimotor development.
If the therapist in charge is not a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy, the child and adolescent psychotherapist often works together with doctors to rule out physical causes for the complaints. They carry out additional neurological examinations or laboratory tests of blood and urine, for example.
Child psychology therapy focuses on psychotherapeutic methods. This primarily includes behavioral therapy. However, depth psychology therapy methods, systemic therapy or special play, music and art therapies are also suitable for treatment.
Depending on the symptoms and cause of the mental disorder, parents, siblings, educators or teachers are included in the treatment (group therapy, family therapy). Specialist therapies such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy or movement therapy can usefully complement psychotherapeutic treatment.
Other therapeutic approaches in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy include
- Medication
- nutrition
- Relaxation methods
- Functional exercise treatments
- Biofeedback methods
- milieu therapy
- Curative education
- Educator/teacher counseling
- Supervision
- Cooperation with youth welfare services
