A preventive approach: What the field of child and adolescent psychiatry can learn from neonatology

Abstract

As a resident physician training in pediatrics, adult psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry, I've had the opportunity to explore three different fields of medicine. While it can sometimes be challenging to navigate the differences between them, this training has allowed me to reflect on what aspects of each field I'd like to incorporate into my career. This past year I've had the chance to spend one half‐day a week as a pediatrician in the Women and Infants’ neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) follow‐up clinic while spending the rest of my week working on various inpatient psychiatry units at Bradley Hospital. My time spent working with the families in the NICU follow‐up clinic has led me to envision a similar preventative care model for children and families at high risk for mental health concerns.