In the United States, pediatricians stand at the forefront of an evolving healthcare landscape where nearly one in five children experiences mental illness (Tkacz 2021). As dedicated healthcare professionals, pediatricians play a crucial role in assessing and treating children and adolescents during their developmental years.
Due to its complex nature, improving upon standard approaches to pediatric mental health care is often key to a child’s improvement and recovery. As such, comprehensive treatment models that address the multifaceted nature of childhood mental health disorders is a critical necessity.
Integrative and Functional Psychiatry
With the growing understanding of the underlying causes of conditions like anxiety, depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorders, we are in the midst of a paradigm shift. Nutritional deficiencies, inflammation, infections, toxicities, allergies, and the gastrointestinal microbiome are all factors that influence mental health (Muscaritoli 2021, Rea 2021, Liu 2023, Conway 2024, Shoebridge 2022). By addressing these underlying causes through functional and integrative care models that honor the unique biochemistry and needs of each child, a more personalized—and more effective—approach is available.
Through the combination of conventional treatment with evidence-based functional approaches, functional psychiatry training equips pediatricians with a comprehensive toolbox to address each child’s individual needs, not just their isolated symptoms. Children aren’t simply “small adults” with scaled-down versions of adult mental health conditions. Each child is unique. They require individualized, developmentally-appropriate interventions.
The Benefits of Integrative Psychiatry Training
For pediatricians who want to supercharge their clinical efficacy and enhance their career satisfaction, integrative psychiatry provides a research-based approach to transform any clinical practice. To meet this demand, Psychiatry Redefined offers a certified Pediatric Functional Psychiatry Fellowship that empowers pediatric clinicians to identify and address the underlying root causes of mental health challenges. The training provides advanced nutritional, metabolic, and functional medicine approaches while maintaining an evidence-based foundation that defines quality care, including:
- How nutrients like vitamin B12, folate, vitamin D, and magnesium affect mental health
- Laboratory testing and treatment strategies for pediatric mental health conditions
- How to recognize and treat infectious causes of pediatric mental health concerns, including PANDAS/PANS
The benefits of the Psychiatry Redefined Pediatric Fellowship extend far beyond clinical outcomes. Parents are increasingly seeking alternatives to conventional psychiatric care for their children and pediatricians with training in integrative and functional psychiatry can step in as leaders in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.
By expanding their treatment approach beyond medication management, these practitioners will meet a growing market demand while rediscovering the professional satisfaction from providing transformative health care.
Ready to learn more functional approaches to help your pediatric patients? Schedule a 1:1 call to learn how you can transform your professional practice with our Pediatric Fellowship.
References
Conway AE, Verdi M, Kartha N, et al. Allergic Diseases and Mental Health. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2024;12(9):2298-2309. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2024.05.049
Liu XQ, Huang J, Song C, Zhang TL, Liu YP, Yu L. Neurodevelopmental toxicity induced by PM2.5 Exposure and its possible role in Neurodegenerative and mental disorders. Hum Exp Toxicol. 2023;42:9603271231191436. doi:10.1177/09603271231191436
Muscaritoli M. The Impact of Nutrients on Mental Health and Well-Being: Insights From the Literature. Front Nutr. 2021;8:656290. Published 2021 Mar 8. doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.656290
Rea I, Guido CA, Spalice A. Clinical Features in Patients With PANDAS/PANS and Therapeutic Approaches: A Retrospective Study. Front Neurol. 2021;12:741176. Published 2021 Sep 28. doi:10.3389/fneur.2021.741176
Shoubridge AP, Choo JM, Martin AM, et al. The gut microbiome and mental health: advances in research and emerging priorities. Mol Psychiatry. 2022;27(4):1908-1919. doi:10.1038/s41380-022-01479-w
Tkacz J, Brady BL. Increasing rate of diagnosed childhood mental illness in the United States: Incidence, prevalence and costs. Public Health Pract (Oxf). 2021;2:100204. Published 2021 Oct 15. doi:10.1016/j.puhip.2021.100204
