Interviewing Children and Adolescents

“Morrison and Flegel’s text is a stellar addition to the newly minted child psychiatry fellow’s library….Its greatest assets are simplicity and clinical utility….In three easy-to-read chapters spanning only 70 pages, the authors provide a good introductory overview of the basics of interviewing a younger crowd. These three chapters in particular would make excellent reading prior to the start of fellowship, to give beginning fellows a manageable but meaty platform to hit the ground running with on July 1st….This book is an excellent resource, especially for the new fellow learning the basics, and for those of us still struggling with the tedium of DSM-5 diagnostic coding. I have found no better guide that accomplishes both of these tasks in one book without putting the reader to sleep. If I were to do fellowship again, I would definitely wish to have a copy of this book.”

—Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry


“This book…is very comprehensive and takes a thorough walk through the many diagnostic categories that apply to children and adolescents….This book can be a useful addition to any child and adolescent psychology or social work graduate program. It can also be used in any psychiatric residency program with a specialty or fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatric medicine.”

—Child and Family Behavior Therapy


“This is a helpful tool for clinicians, describing how to tailor interviews to different ages and how children may present with various disorders based on their developmental level. Since each section also discusses DSM-5 criteria, it is also a helpful review of criteria.”

—Doody's Review Service


“This extremely accessible text is designed to help beginning clinicians enter the daunting world of child and adolescent mental health interviewing and assessment. Two seasoned psychiatrists share their considerable experience with various types of interviewing approaches, multiple levels of child development, and the practical use of DSM-5. Their clear, jargon-free prose includes actual clinical interviews that bring the material vividly to life.”

—Gregory K. Fritz, MD, Professor and Director, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University


“This important second edition effectively places the art and science of child and adolescent clinical interviewing within the context of DSM-5. The case examples and interviewing scripts make it a valuable aid for clinicians working with a diverse array of childhood mental health conditions. I encourage all child clinical, counseling, and school psychologists to consider adding this second edition to their libraries. The reproducible parent questionnaire, which gathers key biopsychosocial information pertaining to past and present functioning, will be especially helpful for diagnostic decision making and treatment planning.”

—John S. Carlson, PhD, NCSP, Director, Doctoral Program in School Psychology, Michigan State University


“An excellent resource for both the experienced clinician and beginning graduate student. The integration of DSM-5 criteria with child and adolescent development make this a one-of-a-kind book. It would make a wonderful text for any course in child assessment and diagnosis, given its well-organized content, developmental focus, and applicable (and interesting) case examples. I loved the first edition and referred to it frequently—the second edition is even better. Every clinician who evaluates or treats children should have a copy of this book on his or her shelf.”

—Ellen Braaten, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School


“This thorough, up-to-date book is sensitive to the unique challenges of engaging children and adolescents in meaningful dialogue about their lives. The inclusion of both age- and diagnosis-based frameworks for interviews is a helpful feature. The case examples serve to demonstrate the recommended practices with a variety of presenting problems, and appendices offer additional useful resources for clinicians. This book is a valuable tool for psychologists and other professionals working with children and adolescents, as well as for students.”

—Rachel Brown-Chidsey, PhD, Educational and School Psychology Program, University of Southern Maine


“This book is full of concrete examples of how practitioners organize their thoughts and devise their questions as they get to know a child and family. The reader sees how each piece of information that emerges from a diagnostic interview is like a puzzle piece that, with time, allows the evaluator to develop a picture of what is happening in the child’s life right now. The section on specific diagnoses organizes case vignettes into clear diagnostic thinking. The authors write with warmth, humor, and the optimistic belief that difficult behavioral and mental health problems can be understood and treated.”

—Judith Warner, author ofWe’ve Got Issues: Children and Parents in the Age of Medication