What is a pediatric psychiatric evaluation?

Also known as: psychiatric assessment, mental health assessment.

A psychiatric evaluation is an evaluation process with a mental health professional (a medical doctor with an MD - a psychiatrist; as opposed to a psychologist with a PhD), designed to diagnose and treat, emotional, behavioral or developmental conditions or disorders, presenting in children or adolescents.

A diagnosis may take a number of visits and evaluating sessions may involve only the child, or also include the parents.

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Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM