Richard M. Sarles

Visual-motor problems of adolescents who attempt suicide.

Using the Canter Background Interference Procedure with the Bender-Gestalt Test, a group of 18 adolescent suicide attempters earned test scores indicating they had significantly more problems with visual-motor coordination than did a control group of 21 adolescents. There were also a greater number of school failures and behavior problems among these suicide attempters. The findings suggest that learning disabilities may be an unrecognized factor which increases the risk of suicide attempts by adolescents.

Out of control behavior in adolescents

The physician should approach a problem of out of control behavior in an adolescent as a family issue rather than an individual issue, for not only the behavior itself bu the parental response to the behavior are key factors in understanding and coping with it. Areas of commonly encountered misbehavior are explored.

Does Early Mentorship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Make a Difference? The Klingenstein Third-Generation Foundation Medical Student Fellowship Program

ObjectiveThere is a critical shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists in the United States. Increased exposure, through mentorship, clinical experiences, and research opportunities, may increase the number of medical students selecting child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) as a career choice.MethodBetween 2008 and 2011, 241 first-year participants of a program to increase exposure to CAP, funded by the Klingenstein Third-Generation Foundation (KTGF) at 10 medical schools completed baseline surveys assessing their opinions of and experiences in CAP, and 115 second-year participants completed follow-up surveys to reflect 1 year of experience in the KTGF Program.ResultsStudents reported significantly increased positive perception of mentorship for career and research guidance, along with perceived increased knowledge and understanding of CAP.ConclusionsResults suggest that the KTGF Program positively influenced participating medical students, although future studies are needed to determine whether these changes will translate into more medical students entering the field of CAP.

Psychosis during adolescence: A review

All indicators of emotional illness rise sharply during adolescence including the utilization of outpatient psychiatric clinics and hospitalizations for psychiatric illness and suicide. Psychoses secondary to drug ingestion, manic-depressive illness, and schizophrenia are not uncommon. This paper reviews the various forms of psychoses during adolescence. Special emphasis is on the diagnosis and treatment of adolescent schizophrenia, the most common psychosis in this developmental period.