Abstract
Objective: The central issue of an apparent contradiction between science as a discourse and the field of child psychiatry is addressed and significant biological contributions outlined.
Conclusions: The apparent contradiction within the aims of science is evident in psychiatry, particularly in child psychiatry, given the predominant psychodynamic and family systems theories and practices and the complexity of the developmental context of children. However, empirically grounded advances suggest that biological and indeed scientific child psychiatry is credible, informative and useful for case assessment, psychological and medication treatment selection and monitoring.