Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Interview

HPI

• Depression
  • Don't forget to ask about irritability, which is common in children and adolescents
  • When asking about appetite and weight, also ask about body image and intentional weight loss to screen for eating disorders

Social History

• School
  • Grades
  • Favourite Subject
  • Homework
  • Teachers
• Social
  • Bullying?
  • Friends
  • Social Media
  • Relationships (Sexual/Romantic)
• Home
  • Siblings
  • Parents
  • Are conflicts common?
• Self
  • Feelings
    • “What are the main feelings you usually feel?” (happy, sad, angry, anxious, irritable)
  • (lead to) Behaviours
    • “What do you do when you have these feelings?” (self-harm, externalized behaviours (e.g. - acting out, truancy, disruptive), internalized behaviours (e.g. - rumination)
  • What are your strengths? (Can ask both the parents or the child)

Neurodevelopmental History

• Age of parents at conception
• Illnesses in pregnancy
• Substance use during pregnancy
• Toxin exposure
• Birth term
• Delivery complications
• Growth charts

Pubertal history

• Age of menarche
• Regular/irregular menstrual cycles

Medical

• History of seizures, recurrent infections, easy bruising/blood clots, tumours/growth, muscle pains/arthritis, or any other diagnosed medical conditions

Family History

• Psychiatric (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, completed suicide/suicide attempt), seizures/epilepsy, Parkinson's, dementia, other cancers, birth defects, infertility, known genetic conditions

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

• Loses temper
• Argues with adults
• Defies or refuses
• Deliberately annoys

• Blames others
• Touchy or easily annoyed
• Angry and resentful
• Spiteful

Medical History

• Hearing, vision, or cardiac problems?

Family Psychiatric History

• Sudden Unexplained Deaths (SIDS?)
• Congenital Cardiac Malformations?

Development

• Developmental Milestones?
• How are things with family, school, friends, extracurricular activities, stressors?
• What is the child/adolescent’s strengths?