Family issues in child

psychiatry practice

Dr Omar Almodayfer
MD, FRCPC, ABAPDiplomat
Head of Mental Health
Director of Family Therapy Program
KAMC-C
[e-mail]

objectives

l

To highlight the relationship between family
issues and child psychiatry cases.

l

To present real cases with such issues from
the Saudi culture.

l

To list some of the good questions which can
help in such cases.

l

To list some office based strategies to help in
such cases.

In every child mental

health issue there is a

family issue

Which is which?

Child can cause a

problem

A family can cause a problem

Also both react to

each other

Maintenance of symptoms can
be dual

Case

l

9 years old girl with moderate anxiety
disorder.

l

Marital life issue.

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Risk of divorce.

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Excessive abuse by father.

So

Marital conflict can cause anxiety
and also depression in children

Case

l

9 yrs old.

l

ADHD symptoms.

l

Mother has cancer treated 2 yrs ago.

So

Mother illness can cause anxiety
in children and significant
behavioral problems

Case

l

12 yrs old girl.

l

Ideal child.

l

Developed eating disorder symptoms.

So

Ideal child is imposed by the
family causing difficulties for
children

Case

l

13 yrs old boy.

l

Obese.

l

Has decline in school performance and eats
alooooooooot.

So

Pathologizing a child cause him
to have a pathology

Questioning

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Take good family history.

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Do not relate the symptoms to family issues
directly.

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Ask indirect questions.

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Parenting style.

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Open question:

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Tell me about ur self.

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Who fights the most?

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Who talk the most?

Interventions

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Mother time off.

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Enabling parents to see the problem
differently: redefining.

l

Father

– child shared time.

l

Mother

– child shared time.

l

Endless advices.