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FEATURE A Perspective on Pediatric Psychiatry FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS DEALING WITH PSYCHIATRIC AND BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, A NEW PERSPECTIVE COULD HELP PHYSICIANS UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM AND HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF FINDING A SOLUTION. H UMANS ARE UNIQUE in their abilities to adapt and grow over time, and these changes in behavior and personality occur rapidly during childhood and adolescence. Psychiatry combines the study of all elements affecting a human being: body, mind, environment and culture. A large portion of psychiatry is helping patients understand their own minds and bodies and how to take care of themselves healthfully. The fi eld of child and adolescent psychiatry in the United States began as a discipline dealing with children involved in the judicial system at the peak of the Industrial Revolution. With the first child guidance clinic opening its doors in 1909, physicians and court judges realized that many children on trial for crimes were the byproducts of lost support systems. William Sonis, M.D., triple board- certifi ed child and adolescent psychiatrist and professor and Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Drexel 14 | Mid Hudson MD NEWS MDNEWS.COM University College of Medicine, com- pleted a research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health and is always pursing further information about children and adolescent behavior. “The more one knows about one’s self and the more we teach our patients about the way we think as physicians, the more efficiently our patients can take care of themselves and provide us with relevant information,” says Dr. Sonis. “They help us help them.” Facilitating Family Interaction Because primary care providers are the first step in delivering care, it is important for these physicians to inquire further about a patient’s family situation. If an adult patient expresses concern for his or her child who may be causing stress in the family, a physician’s ability to delve deeper into the situation can make the difference for fi nding solutions. An additional fi ve minutes spent with the patient could reveal much more