A large proportion of children and youth have mental health problems that follow different trajectories over time. Adolescence is a period in which latent mental problems emerge, with as many as one third of adolescents presenting with complaints significant enough to warrant a visit to the doctor. Since the mid-1950s, a considerable number of psychoactive medications have been developed, with primarily adults with mental health disorders being the main focus. Only a proportion of these drugs were subsequently studied in children and adolescents in well-designed, controlled trials with a sufficiently long-term follow-up. This means that the treatment decision of the prescribing physician carries a unique burden of personal responsibility. This book presents the psychopharmacologic agents that are available for children and adolescents, as well as the side effects, drug interactions, and the indicated monitoring parameters of these medications.

This book is designed to provide primary care clinicians with a practical guide to the significant problems that increasingly affect the emotional health of children and adolescents. This book is written in clear, concise language by experts in developmental-behavioral pediatrics, neurodevelopmental pediatrics, adolescent medicine, psychology, and child/adolescent psychiatry. We present a comprehensive coverage of normal and pathological behaviors based on principles of child and adolescent development. The editors are nationally and internationally known experts and educators in the normal and abnormal behavior of children and youth. With the information available in this book, clinicians who care for children and adolescents will be better equipped to meet the complex needs of this fascinating and ever-changing population.

The search for medicinal agents to improve emotional, behavioral, and psychiatric conditions of Homo sapiens has occurred for ages. The 20th century witnessed the development of psychopharmacologic agents, including stimulants in the 1930s (and 1950s), chlorpromazine in the 1950s, lithium, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, SSRIs (1990s), and others. The proper use of these agents in the pediatric population continues to be an active study. Atypical antipsychotics have been approved by the FDA for children and adolescents though their safety and efficacy in the pediatric population but must be assiduously ascertained with ongoing research in the eternal iatric maxim of primum non nocere. The science of evidence-based pharmacotherapy for mental health disorders in children and adolescents is finally emerging. Exciting discoveries await the researchers of this still early 21st century lead by the crucial collaborative efforts of academicians, pharmaceutical scientists, and medical government authorities. Controversies regarding the use of various psychopharmacologic agents for the pediatric population continue in the 21st century, requiring further research and insightful judgment for its applications in this vulnerable population. Excessive and unnecessary psychopharmacologic agents should be avoided in the pediatric population with behavioral/emotional/psychiatric conditions/disorders. In this second edition, the authors present updated information about psychopharmacology in childhood and adolescence.

The search for optimal medications to support health has been part of human history since early times. One concept that was learned in early human civilisations was that medications can be harmful as well as potentially beneficial. Folklore and anecdotal information dominated human knowledge for more than 50,000 years until the work of the Chinese emperor, Shen-Nung (2737 BCE), who became a pristine, official, and erudite classifier of medicinal herbs. Pharmacologic management of human disease is clearly part of the 21st century medical armamentarium. Adolescents of the second decade of the 21st century and those adolescents soon to come will determine the outcome of our planet and life into the 22nd century. Pharmacology will remain an ever-growing part of clinicians' efforts to improve their patients' mental and medical health, but in this book, the authors' have taken a holistic approach, which they hope will please and interest the reader.

Current research indicates that up to ten percent of children suffer from mental health problems at some point before reaching adulthood. Complex diagnostic criteria and medication regimes can make these patients a challenge to manage. The chronic shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists has led to more and more cases being cared for by pediatricians and primary care practitioners. Patients may be on multiple medications of long duration, and reaching a decision to modify or cease treatment is often complicated.
Pediatric and Adolescent Psychopharmacology: A Practical Manual for Pediatricians is written for all non-psychiatrists who find themselves caring for children and teenagers with mental health disorders. It gives clear, expert guidance on the complexities of diagnosis of mental health disorders and provides practical, accessible advice on the complex treatment options available for many disorders. This text will be an invaluable resource for all clinicians who encounter these vulnerable patients.