Psychiatry

Our mission

In partnership with others in our community, the Children’s Hospital Boston Department of Psychiatry will provide excellence and leadership in clinical care, education, research and mental health advocacy for children and their families.

Our history

When a child is faced with a behavioral disorder, emotional problem or psychiatric disease, the impact is far-reaching—affecting everything from the child’s home, school and social life to the emotional wellness of the entire family. For more than 50 years, the Department of Psychiatry at Children’s Hospital Boston has worked to mitigate this impact while caring for children, adolescents and their families.

Our expertise

We specialize in helping children and adolescents face disabling troubles with depression, anxiety, inattention and oppositional behaviors as well as those adjusting to stressful and traumatic events. Through our Behavioral Medicine Clinic and related offerings, we have particular expertise helping youngsters coping with physical illnesses—such as cancer and heart disease—to manage the strain from lengthy hospital stays, medication regimens and chronic pain.

We provide care in many settings, from our inpatient units and clinician’s offices to schools and community health centers. Our treatments include individual, group and family counseling, psychotherapy and—when appropriate—the use of medication in conjunction with behavioral therapy. 

Here are some highlights about our department:

• Each year, the Children’s Department of Psychiatry performs approximately:
  • 14,000 outpatient visits
  • 2,000 community visits
  • 800 medical consultations
  • 400 inpatient admissions
     
• Among the many conditions we treat are:
  • anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and separation anxiety disorder
  • attention disorders, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • autism spectrum disorders
  • behavioral changes after medical or surgical treatment
  • bipolar disorder
  • body image issues
  • depressive disorders, such as major depression and dysthymia
  • disruptive behavior disorders
  • psychiatric effects of brain damage or brain injury and neurological/developmental disorders
  • psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia
  • suicidal ideation
  • traumatic stress
  • Tourette’s disorder
     
• We offer one of the most sought-after pediatric psychiatry residency training programs in the world for talented physicians with a particular interest in child and adolescent mental health.
   
• We are among the only pediatric hospitals to provide intensive mental health support for children and families confronting other chronic health conditions, such as:
  • cancer
  • cerebral palsy
  • diabetes
  • epilepsy
  • heart disease
  • endocrine system and hormonal disorders
  • spinal cord injury
  • traumatic brain injury
     
• Our Children’s Hospital Neighborhood Partnerships Program delivers tailored, culturally competent mental health care for underserved children and families through collaborations with Boston schools and community health centers.

• As part of our commitment to public advocacy and increased accessibility to psychiatric care for all children and families, Children’s has teamed with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children to campaign for a significant reform of the state’s mental health system