CHICAGO – How does a primary care doctor know when an adolescent patient’s unruliness has crossed the line into pathology? Dr. Jon E. Grant of the University of Chicago presented clinical perspectives about this and other aspects of what he called "disorders of impulsivity" at Psychiatry Update 2014, sponsored by Current Psychiatry and the American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists.
"This is always the argument: ‘What separates out poorly mannered, poorly behaved people, compared to people with a disorder? ’ " Dr. Grant said in an interview. "It’s a constellation of symptoms, and the intensity and frequency of the symptoms."
Many pediatricians and family physicians might not be aware of how a patient’s predilection for pyromania or kleptomania also could indicate deeper troubles along the impulsivity spectrum. Dr. Grant offered advice on counseling these patients and their families and on when to refer them to a psychiatrist.
Current Psychiatry and this news organization are owned by the same parent company. Dr. Grant disclosed that he has relationships with Forest Pharmaceuticals, Roche, and Lundbeck.
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