Child psychiatrists in court: Their contribution as experts in child care proceedings

Abstract

There has been an increasing demand for the opinions of child psychiatrists in child care proceedings. Because of their training, child psychiatrists are able fully to assess the adult members of any referred family as well as the child. Assessment of the family includes consideration of the presence of a psychiatric disorder, the wishes and views of the child, and family functioning. A training in developmental psychopathology allows due consideration to be given to the crucial element of time in the life of the child. However, there are questions to be raised about the expertise of the experts, the use that can be made of their knowledge, and the duties of the experts themselves.

Key Words:

• child psychiatrist
• care proceedings
• court
• expertise
• parenting
• developmental psychopathology