In this issue of Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, consulting editor Dr. Harsh Trivedi has selected topics that continually are at the forefront for child and adolescent psychiatrists.Among the top topics are: Children's Exposure to Violent Video Games and Desensitization to Violence; Neurobiology of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Psychosocial Interventions in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; 5. Social Skills Training for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders; 6. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders; and Adolescent Eating Disorders: Definitions, Symptomatology, Epidemiology and Comorbidity. Authors renown in the psychiatric field and the pediatric field provide the physician clinical outcomes and therapeutic management of these disorders.

Psychopharmacology is a dominant treatment in child and adolescent psychiatry with proven benefits to young patients. The authors present topics related to PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY ISSUES: Ethical issues, Treatment planning, Side effects, Neural correlates, and Pharmacogenomics. They address DRUGS FOR SPECIFIC DISEASES: Anxiety, Depression, Eating disorders, Sleep disorders, Psychosis and Schizophrenia, High-risk for bilpolar and schizophrenia, Bipolar, ADHD, and Autism. Each topic presents an Overview of the Disease or Issue, Empirical evidence for ethical issues, Treatment summaries that include dose ranges, side effects, contraindications, and how the drugs are used specifically for a disorder. Treatment in the presence of co-morbid conditions, Long-term evidence, and Conclusions and Future directions complete the presentations. Clinical vignettes are provided that exemplify the main points of the topic.

The goal of this issue is to provide readers with a basic understanding of common chronic illnesses that begin in childhood (even at the time of conception), an understanding of the role of the family and mental health issues and how they may affect treatment adherence, and challenges faced when transitioning to adulthood. A special article is dedicated to the pediatric medical home. Several articles address the psychiatric challenges of very premature infants, behavioral and psychiatric concerns for genetically neurodevelopmentally challenged children, and the developmental perspective of children and families with cystic fibrosis. Other articles are devoted to potentially lifelong chronic illnesses, including inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and epilepsy. The issue ends with articles devoted to potential life-threatening illnesses, including HIV and oncologic illnesses, and finishes with an article on palliative care