PEDIATRICIAN/PSYCHOLOGIST COLLABORATION IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CHILDREN WITH ADHD

In the United States, the shortage of psychiatrists is increasing, and patients who need psychotropic medications often face long wait times and limited services. To fill the widening gap between supply and demand, prescribers trained outside of traditional medical settings are stepping in. Although psychologists traditionally had little medical background, a new generation of psychologists now receives extensive training in the use of psychotropic medications, and two states and one US territory have already enacted laws that grant properly trained psychologists prescriptive privileges. As psychologists increasingly pursue medical training, they become a valuable resource for pediatricians who are often called upon to treat childhood psychological disorders in addition to medical problems. Psychologists can be especially helpful to pediatricians grappling with the need to properly diagnose and treat children with attention-deficit hyperactive disorder, the most commonly diagnosed psychological disorder in childhood. This paper outlines the benefits to pediatricians, psychologists and the patient population when a collaborative relationship between pediatrician and pediatric psychologist is utilized to diagnose and treat children with this disorder.