In our country where more than half of the population consists of children and adolescents, maintaining a healthy social structure is achieved through protection of these individuals’ mental health and well-being. At this point, the science of child and adolescent psychiatry bears great significance. As a specialty branch, along with being involved in biological and psychological aspects of psychiatric illnesses, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry also is attentive to behavioral and social dimensions of psychiatric disorders and engaged in education and preventive health care. Our child and adolescent psychiatry department serves as an outpatient facility for children and adolescents aged between 0-18 years old. The first child psychiatry outpatient unit was founded in the year 1997, within our hospital. As of year 2014, our unit started functioning as an academic department as well. Residents resuming their training in the pediatrics unit of our hospital have rotations in our unit as well, as part of their formal education program. Our unit provides healthcare with a staff involving consultant child and adolescent psychiatrists, psychologists, developmental pediatrics specialists and child and adolescent psychiatry residents. Developmental assessment of children and adolescents, diagnostic evaluation for psychiatric disorders, treatment and follow-up are among the services provided by our unit. In this context, individual psychotherapy, play therapy, family therapy, pharmacological treatment, consultation- liaison psychiatry, forensic psychiatry and preventive psychiatric care for society are offered.
Our unit is specialized in the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of psychiatric conditions such as;
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Conduct Disorder
- Specific Learning Disorders (Reading, written expression, Mathematics)
- Intellectual Disability
- Anxiety Disorders, including School Refusal and Phobias
- Mood Disorders
- Tic Disorders
- Elimination Disorders (Enuresis and Encopresis)
- Gender Identity Disorder and Gender Dysphoria
- Communication Disorders (Stuttering, Speech and Language Disorders)
- Sleep Disorders
- Eating Disorders
- Identity confusion
- Problems with siblings and peers
- Psychiatric Problems of Infancy and Early Childhood
- Problems regarding intrafamilial interactions
- Familial violence
- Issues and Problems of Adolescence
- Psychiatric Problems of Children under protection by law
- Problems of Foster Families, Adopted Children and their Families
- Child Abuse and Neglect (Physical, emotional, sexual)
- Psychiatric Problems and Disorders observed in Children with Physical Health Problems.