Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine | Seattle Children's Hospital

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Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine

Overview

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The field of psychiatry and behavioral medicine addresses mental health needs. At Seattle Children's, our team works to diagnose, treat and prevent emotional and behavioral problems among young people from infancy through age 21. One of our main concerns is helping your child cope with behavioral or psychiatric issues that go along with serious illnesses, major treatments and neurodevelopmental conditions.

We work closely with experts in the Transplant Center, the Cancer and Blood Disorders Program and the Craniofacial Center to provide complete and coordinated care for your child. We also evaluate and treat young people who have complex or rare psychiatric or psychological disorders, and work with experts in clinics, including Adolescent Medicine, Neurodevelopmental and Rehabilitation Medicine.

Our nationally recognized providers see patients at Seattle Children's and Bellevue campuses and at the Odessa Brown Children's Clinic in Seattle's Central District. Our telepsychiatry service uses the latest technology to offer long-distance consultations throughout Washington state and in Ketchikan, Alaska.

Conditions We Treat


We care for the mental health of children and teens with many conditions, including:


Autism spectrum disorders

Autism is a disorder that can affect the way a child behaves, thinks, communicates and interacts with others. Children with autism are affected in different ways. Some have only mild symptoms and grow up to live on their own, while others have more severe symptoms and need supported living and working environments throughout their lives....read more

Complicated or treatment-resistant Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD)

ADHD refers to a set of behavioral disorders. Symptoms vary from child to child; but in general, children with ADHD may be hyper, act without thinking and have trouble keeping their minds on one subject or task. Children with ADHD may understand how they are expected to act, but they may have trouble controlling their behavior or paying attention.

Depression, anxiety, bipolar and other mood disorders

When a depressed or anxious mood lasts for weeks and affects your child's daily life, treatment may help. There are several types of depression, including major depression, dysthemia, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder and adjustment disorder with depressed mood. Anxiety is feeling fearful, threatened or panicky with no clear cause. Both depression and anxiety are serious medical conditions.

Psychiatric and behavioral issues occurring along with medical and surgical conditions

Children who have serious illnesses or who are undergoing major treatment may experience mental health issues at the same time. These co-occurring conditions may be a result of their illness or a side effect of the medicine they are taking. They may arise from the challenges of living with a serious condition. Whatever the cause, our team provides help with emotional and behavioral issues and coping skills.

Eating disorders

We offer evaluations, consultations and orientations to help your child and your family learn about the services for eating disorders at Children's. We help you find the services that will best meet your family's needs. Our team also offers long-term follow-up therapy for individuals and families. We have a therapy group to help your child develop coping skills, and offer a class for parents to help you at mealtime. Our team works closely with experts in Adolescent Medicine to ensure your child receives care that is complete....read more

Services We Offer


Some of the specialty services we offer include:


Telepsychiatry service

We use technology such as cameras and videoconferencing to offer long-distance consultation through partner clinics in Wenatchee, Olympia, Yakima, Longview and Aberdeen, Washington, and in Ketchikan, Alaska.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy uses a combination of treatments, such as individual talk therapy, group therapy and social training, to help children and teens who have more than one psychological problem. Healthcare providers may recommend DBT for a variety of problems, including severe depression....read more (PDF)

Inpatient hospital stay

We offer treatment for children and teens who need short-term hospital care until their conditions become stable. When your child is ready to go home, we provide support for your child and your family to make the entry back to the community as easy as possible.