From the author of the acclaimed Running on Ritalin, the first rhoroughly balanced and deep;ly informative gude to helping parents make the best treatment decisions--with and without medication--for children with psychological problems. With the publication of Running on Ritalin in 1998, Dr. Lawrence Diller established himself as the country's leading expert on the use of psychiatric drugs to treat children. Since then, parents have clamored for his expertise on psychological problems beyond ADD, drugs beyond Ritalin, and, most important, how to decide whether or not drugs really are the best option for their children. More and more parents are asking the simple question: Should I medicate my child? In this authoritative and plainspoken book, which features a detailed, easy-to-access "Quick Guide to Psychiatric Drugs," Dr. Diller gives parents the tools they need to regain faith in their own judgment and make wise choices for their children.

Pediatric Psychopharmacology: Principles and Practice is an authoritative and comprehensive text on the use of medication in the treatment of children and adolescents with serious neuropsychiatric disorders. This benchmark volume consists of 56 chapters written by internationally recognized leaders, and is divided into four interrelated sections. The first, Biological Bases of Pediatric Psychopharmacology, reviews key principles of neurobiology and the major psychiatric illnesses of childhood from a perspective rooted in developmental psychopathology. The second, Somatic Interventions, presents the major classes of psychiatric drugs, as well as complementary and alternative somatic interventions, such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), and naturopathic approaches. The third and longest section, Assessment and Treatment,starts with clinical assessment, diagnostic evaluation, and comprehensive treatment planning, and goes on to cover the evidence-based analysis of drug treatments for the major disorders. Special populations (such as children with comorbid mental retardation, substance abuse or medical illness) are specifically discussed, and the coordination of their treatment with non-somatic therapies is explicitly addressed. The final section, Epidemiologic, Research, and Methodological Considerations, deals with broad population-relevant topics such as regulation and policy, pharmacoepidemiology, and the critical importance of sound ethical principles for clinical investigation. The book concludes with an appendix on generic and commercial drug name equivalencies, preparations, and available dosages.L This timely text is intended for child and adolescent psychiatrists, general and developmental pediatricians, family practitioners, general psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals who work with children and adolescents.

Illustrated in full color throughout and including the now famous icons, this latest addition to the Essential Psychopharmacology collection presents pragmatic guidance to clinicians. Stephen Stahl includes all the information a prescriber needs to treat patients effectively by devoting four pages to each of the 100 psychotropic drugs he covers. The information comes in four categories for each drug: therapeutics, side effects, special populations, and tips and pearls. Therapeutics covers the brands of drug, class of drug, and how the drug works. Side effects covers the nature and significance of notable side effects. Special populations covers renal impairment, hepatic impairment, cardiac impairment, the elderly, children and adolescents, and women (childbearing, pregnancy, breast feeding, perimenopause, menopause). Tips and pearls covers best augmention/combining, potential advantages, potential disadvantages, pearls, dosing tips, and suggested reading. Each element has a target icon so the prescriber can easily and instantly access the information needed. A comprehensive index lists both generic and proprietary names for the featured drugs.

This book provides information that educates the caregiver so they can respond with knowledge to the judgements made by their physician. Dr. Tsai is a Medical Doctor and professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Michigan as well as being a renowned speaker and author. Dr. Tsai is also the parent of a child with autism.