Straight Talk about Psychiatric Medications for Kids, Fourth Edition

Timothy E. Wilens, MD, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. Board certified in child, adolescent, adult, and addiction psychiatry, Dr. Wilens conducts research, lectures, and publishes widely on child and adolescent psychiatric issues.Paul G. Hammerness, MD, is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Medical Director of Outpatient Psychiatry at Boston Children’s Hospital. Board certified in child and adolescent psychiatry, Dr. Hammerness is an experienced clinician, educator, and researcher.

"This is the book I've turned to for the past 15 years to share with parents, and the fourth edition makes a great resource even better. Understanding psychiatric medications can be confusing, but reading this book is like having the authors in the room to explain their thinking process as well as the most up-to-date research in the field. Straight Talk answers parents' most common questions with empathy and wisdom. It tells you exactly what you need to know about the benefits, potential downsides, and what to expect."--Ellen Braaten, PhD, coauthor of Bright Kids Who Can't Keep Up"The fourth edition of Straight Talk gives parents a wealth of up-to-date information about medications prescribed for kids' emotional and behavioral problems. The authors are superb, empathic clinicians who know what you are going through and help you understand and weigh the risks and benefits."--Thomas E. Brown, PhD, author of A New Understanding of ADHD in Children and Adults"Drs. Wilens and Hammerness are international leaders in pediatric psychopharmacology. Comprehensive, balanced, and easy to read, this book is outstanding. The fourth edition keeps up with the rapidly growing research base. You get the information you need to ask the right questions so your child will receive the best care possible."--Melissa P. DelBello, MD, MS, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine"The fourth edition of this classic book is striking in its comprehensiveness, depth, and practicality. For a book that is so well grounded in current science, it has a remarkable clarity that parents will appreciate."--Thomas J. Power, PhD, ABPP, Director, Center for Management of ADHD, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia -

• IntroductionI. What Every Parent Should Know about Psychiatric Medications for Children1. The Preliminaries: Building a Foundation of Knowledge2. The Psychopharmacology Evaluation: Finding Out What's Wrong3. The Diagnosis and Treatment Plan: Laying Out a Strategy to Help Your Child4. Treatment and Beyond: Collaborating in Your Child's Ongoing CareII. Common Childhood Psychiatric Disorders5. Attentional and Disruptive Behavioral Disorders6. Anxiety-Related Disorders7. Mood Disorders8. Autism Spectrum Disorder9. Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders10. Disorders of Known Medical and Neurological Origin11. Other Mental Health Disturbances Affecting Children and AdolescentsIII. The Psychotropic Medications12. The Stimulants and Nonstimulants for ADHD13. The Antidepressants14. The Mood Stabilizers15. The Anxiety-Breaking Medications16. The Alpha Agonists and Antihypertensives17. The Antipsychotics18. Medications for Sleep, Bedwetting, and Other ProblemsAppendix A. Representative Medication Preparations and Sizes Used for the Treatment of Childhood Emotional and Behavioral DisordersAppendix B. Medication LogResourcesBibliography