Biomed Radio - Washington University School Of Medicine In St. Louis

Going to the doctor can be a frightening experience for some kids, and a visit to the psychiatrist can be even more unnerving. So a Washington University psychiatrist has written a children’s book about what happens on a visit to the psychiatrist’s office and why some kids receive psychiatric care. The idea is to make the experience of going to the psychiatrist less stressful and to inform healthy children that getting psychiatric care isn’t all that different from visiting the pediatrician or the dentist. A GOOD DEAL OF RESEARCH IS NOW SUGGESTING THAT EARLY ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSIS OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GOOD OUTCOMES IN CHILDREN, AND A WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY CHILD PSYCHIATRIST HAS WRITTEN A CHILDREN’S BOOK THAT’S DESIGNED TO HELP GET THAT WORD OUT, AS WELL AS TO MAKE KIDS MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE IDEA OF SEEING A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. JIM DRYDEN HAS THE STORY… THERE ARE CHILDREN’S BOOKS ABOUT ALL KINDS OF MEDICAL EXPERIENCES: VISITING THE DOCTOR, GOING TO THE DENTIST, GETTING