Pediatric Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry

The Pediatric Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Service at Massachusetts General Hospital provides care for children admitted to the general medical, surgical and intensive care units at Mass General for Children. We work to ease the suffering of children and families coping with serious illness or injury and those adjusting to the diagnosis of chronic or life-threatening conditions.

The service also evaluates and helps with the management of children with:

• Primary psychiatric illnesses leading to medical conditions
• Psychiatric manifestations of medical illnesses
• Psychosomatic illnesses

In this liaison role, we also work to support medical and nursing staff in the often emotionally demanding job of caring for hospitalized children and their families.

Inpatient Consultation for the Full Range of Pediatric Needs

Under the leadership of director Eric Hazen, MD, and associate director Elizabeth Pinsky, MD, the Pediatric Consult-Liaison Service provides care to more than 300 patients each year. Common consultation requests include:

• Adjustment and mood disorders
• Psychosomatic illnesses
• Anorexia nervosa
• Suicide attempts
• Behavior problems
• Organic neuropsychiatric syndromes

Specialists within the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry also provide care on an outpatient basis to the hematology-oncology, gastrointestinal, epilepsy, pain, endocrine, cystic fibrosis, transplant, multiple sclerosis and coordinated care clinics.

Outpatient Services: ChAMP Clinic

The Pediatric Psychiatry Consult-Liaison Service provides outpatient psychiatric consultation to children with co-morbid medical and known or suspected psychiatric symptoms through the Child and Adolescent Medical-Psychiatry (ChAMP) Clinic.

Common reasons for presentation to the ChAMP Clinic include:

• Rapid post-discharge follow-up for patients seen by the inpatient Consult-Liaison Service
• Depression, anxiety or difficulty coping related to symptoms or treatment of medical illness
• Suspected psychosomatic illness or psychological contributors to medical symptoms
• Suspected psychiatric issues interfering with adherence to medical treatment
• Illnesses such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue that have both psychological and physical manifestations

Our Care Model

The ChAMP clinic follows a consultative model, providing a number of services, including:

• Diagnostic evaluation
• Treatment recommendations
• Stabilization and short-term care (when needed)

For patients who have long-term treatment needs, we provide referrals to appropriate mental health providers.

ChAMP Staff

• Eric Hazen, MD
• Elizabeth Pinsky, MD