About Us

Who does the Mood Disorders Clinic help?

We serve children and youth age 6 to 18 without an intellectual disability with a mood disorder that is causing problems at school or home. For children with an intellectual disability, see the IDEAS Team. We are a tertiary service that serves children and youth whose needs exceed the services available in the community.

What is a mood disorder?

If a child or youth has a mood disorder, their general mood does not fit with or is more extreme than people would expect from their situation. The most common mood disorders are depression and bipolar disorder.

Some signs of mood disorders that you might notice in your child/youth are:

Sleep problems (can’t sleep or sleeps too much)
Low or depressed mood
Major Irritability
Major mood swings
Extreme anger or rages
Difficulty planning
Difficulty concentrating
Poor judgment
Talking or hinting about suicide (suicidal ideation)

Having a mood disorder that is not being treated can affect family relationships and school performance.

What does the Mood Disorders Clinic do?

Our first step is to talk to you and your child so our psychologist can determine the possibility of a mood disorder and make sure the Mood Disorders Clinic is the right service. If there is a likelihood of a mood disorder, we will do a full assessment, talking to you, your child, and community partners.

Our team will consult with community partners and develop a treatment and safety plan. Services might include:

Psychoeducation for children and youth
Appointments with psychiatrist for medications and treatment
School consultation
Parent education
Support from other clinicians as needed

At the end of service, we will meet with you and your community supports to transition your services.

We do not do risk assessments, emergency/crisis intervention or parent or custody assessments.

Where does this happen?

Assessment and services take place both at CPRI in London and in the home community.

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