Medical Comorbidity & C-L Psychiatry at AACAP Annual Meeting 2026
78 sessions on medical comorbidity & c-l psychiatry · October 26–31, 2026, Atlanta, GA. Compare medical comorbidity & c-l psychiatry at other meetings →
Monday, October 26
16:00–18:00 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives
Wraparound Model for Families of Kids With Diabetes
Describes a wraparound family support model for children with diabetes.
19:00–22:00 · Session
My Sister’s Keeper : Savior Siblings and the Underexplored Role of Siblings in Patient’s Lives and in Psychotherapy
Gabrielle H. Silver · Catherine Fuchs · Julia A. Kearney · Tasia York
A film-based session using My Sister's Keeper to examine savior siblings and the role of siblings in development, medical ethics and psychopathology, followed by facilitated discussion of clinical interventions.
Tuesday, October 27
08:00–10:00 · Lecture
When to Worry: Managing Medical and Nutritional Concerns in Youth With Eating Disorders
Covers how to recognize and manage medical and nutritional complications in young patients with eating disorders.
09:00–11:00 · Session · Clinical Perspectives
Frontline Psychiatry: Emerging Treatments for Regression, Aggression, Cerebral Palsy, and the Care of Medically Fragile Youth With Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Pankhuree Vandana · Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele · Kathleen A. Koth · Ernest Pedapati · Lisa C. Yeh · Tasia York
Reviews emerging treatments for regression and aggression and care of medically fragile youth with neurodevelopmental disorders.
09:00–11:00 · Lecture
Approaches to Mental Health and Intellectual Developmental Disability Management in Pediatric Cerebral Palsy
Discusses managing mental health and intellectual/developmental disability concerns in children with cerebral palsy.
09:00–11:00 · Lecture
Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Delirium, Catatonia, and Medical Traumatic Stress: Evaluation and Management in the ICU and Beyond
Addresses evaluation and management of delirium, catatonia and medical traumatic stress in youth with neurodevelopmental disorders in intensive care and afterward.
Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders · Catatonia · Child & Adolescent
11:00–13:00 · Lecture
Neurologic Evaluation of Children With Down Syndrome and Regression
Covers neurologic assessment of children with Down syndrome who show regression.
11:30–13:00 · Workshop · Other Programs
Paws & Pearls: A Hospital Facility Dog Experience With Practical Pediatric Hospital Facility Dog Program Development and Implementation Strategies
Kathryn Egan · Catherine Lindsay Rutledge · Trina Jones Artis
Covers how animal-assisted activities and therapy with hospital facility dogs can support children with serious illness and their families, including program policy development. Attendees interact with a facility dog.
13:30–15:30 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives
The Gut as a Driver of Use: How Gastrointestinal Symptoms Shape Substance Use in Youth
Explores how gastrointestinal symptoms may influence substance use in young people.
Wednesday, October 28
11:30–13:30 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives
Invalidation From All Sides: Considerations for Functional Neurological Disorder in Youth With Borderline Personality Disorder
Covers considerations for functional neurological disorder in youth who also have borderline personality disorder.
15:00–17:00 · Lecture
Humanism and Trauma Informed Care In the ICU: Pediatric Delirium As a Model
Uses pediatric delirium to illustrate humanistic, trauma-informed care in the intensive care unit.
15:30–17:30 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives
Social Media Challenges, Contagion, and Coping
Looks at social media challenges, contagion effects and coping for physically ill children.
15:30–17:30 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives
The Patient as Influencer: Social Media and Overmedicalization in Children and Adolescents
Explores how social media and patients acting as influencers relate to overmedicalization in young people.
15:30–17:30 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives
Parenting in the Age of Social Media
Considers parenting issues related to social media use when a child is physically ill.
15:30–17:00 · Session · Clinical Perspectives
Crossing Disciplines, Healing Bodies: Diverse Approaches to Somatic Distress in Youth
Kristopher Kaliebe · Noshene Ranjbar · Natalia Szejko · Nicole Hellthaler · Josh Spitalnick
Clinical perspectives session exploring multidisciplinary approaches to somatic distress in children and adolescents.
15:30–17:30 · Symposium · Clinical Perspectives
Social Media and the Physically Ill Child: Clinical Challenges, Opportunities, and Guidance for Psychiatrists
Kristin A. Dalope · Laura A. Markley · Aishwarya Rajagopalan · Eric P. Hazen · Amy Lynn Meadows
Explores how social media affects children with medical illness and offers guidance for psychiatrists.
15:30–17:00 · Lecture
Functional Neurological Disorder as Somatic Distress in Youth: Integrating Neurology and Psychiatry
Looks at functional neurological disorder in youth as a form of somatic distress and how neurology and psychiatry can collaborate.
Child & Adolescent · Tardive Dyskinesia & Movement Disorders
Symposium · Symposium
2026 Simon Wile Symposium: From Access to Impact: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry–Guided Integrated Behavioral Health for Marginalized Youth
Jeanne Greenblatt · A. Ning Zhou · Nayla M. Khoury · Tareq Yaqub · Catherine Fuchs
This year's named Simon Wile symposium on consultation-liaison psychiatry examines integrated behavioral health models led by child psychiatrists that move beyond access toward measurable impact for marginalized youth.
Child & Adolescent · Collaborative & Integrated Care · Diverse & Underserved Populations
Posters (3)
- Integrating Mental Health Into Multidisciplinary Cleft Care: A Prospective Cohort Study From India — Ajay Aditya Aadhi Mani et al.
- Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Phenotype in Neurofibromatosis Type 1 — Aneta Krakowski et al.
- Risk of PTSD Following Surgery in Adolescents: The Role of Perioperative Analgesic Exposure in a Multi-Institutional Cohort — Kiran Garg et al.
Thursday, October 29
07:00–08:30 · Workshop · Clinical Consultation Breakfast
How to Do a Psychiatric Consultation on a Child or Youth With Chronic Pain: Tips for the Nonspecialist
Marijana Jovanovic · Christine Lamontagne
Case-based discussion on how non-specialist child and adolescent psychiatrists can assess and consult on youth with chronic pain and comorbid mental health conditions. Covers communication approaches, functional impairment assessment, and evidence-based treatments and resources.
08:00–10:00 · Lecture
Cardiometabolic Brain Connections in Youth With Psychiatric Disorders: Focus on Bipolar Disorder
Examines links between cardiometabolic health and brain findings in young people with psychiatric illness, emphasizing bipolar disorder.
Bipolar Disorder · Child & Adolescent · Neuroscience & Mechanisms
09:00–10:30 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives
Injury in Youth Athletes
Talk on psychiatric aspects of injury in youth athletes, part of a symposium on elite youth athlete care.
09:00–11:00 · Session
Medico-Legal Partnerships in Pediatric Consult and Liaison Psychiatry
Roberto Ortiz-Aguayo · Rebecca Horvath · Kristin A. Dalope · Aishwarya Rajagopalan · Meredith E. MacGregor
Clinical perspectives on medico-legal partnerships within pediatric consultation-liaison psychiatry.
09:00–11:00 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives
Core Concepts in Medico-Legal Partnerships in Pediatric Consult and Liaison Psychiatry
Introduces foundational legal concepts relevant to partnerships between legal and pediatric consultation-liaison psychiatry teams.
09:00–11:00 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives
Legal and Ethical Tensions in Life-Threatening Nonadherence
Examines legal and ethical dilemmas when a young patient's nonadherence to treatment threatens their life.
09:00–11:00 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives
Navigating Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another: The Role of Pediatric Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry in Transdisciplinary and Medico-Legal Care
Discusses the consultation-liaison psychiatrist's role in transdisciplinary and medico-legal management of factitious disorder imposed on another.
09:00–11:00 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives
Legal and Ethical Principles Guiding Shared Decision-Making in End-of-Life Care: Role of the Pediatric Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist
Covers legal and ethical principles behind shared decision-making in pediatric end-of-life care and the psychiatrist's role.
10:30–12:00 · Session
Beneath the Surface: Psychodermatology, Development, and Resilience in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Skin Conditions
Ronke L. Babalola · Andrew Huang · Edidiong David · Ilona Fishkin
Clinical perspectives on psychiatric and developmental aspects of chronic skin conditions in youth.
10:30–12:00 · Lecture
The Mind and the Skin: Neuroimmune Pathways Linking Stress and Inflammation in Youth
Discusses neuroimmune pathways connecting stress, inflammation and skin conditions in young people.
10:30–12:00 · Lecture
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Body Image, Identity, and Self-Esteem in Adolescents With Visible Skin Conditions
Addresses body image, identity and self-esteem concerns in adolescents with visible skin conditions.
10:30–12:00 · Lecture
Beyond the Clinic: Integrative Models of Psychodermatological Care for Children and Adolescents
Describes integrative care models for children and adolescents with psychodermatological conditions.
14:00–16:00 · Session
Stepped Trauma-Focused CBT to Address Acute Trauma in Medically Hospitalized Children and Adolescents
Kristiana Lehn · Merritt D. Schreiber · Jacquline A. Williams · Hailee Tougas · Alexis Rosvall
Clinical case conference presenting three cases of a stepped-care trauma-focused CBT model for acute traumatic stress in medically hospitalized youth, with emphasis on adapting the protocol to hospital settings.
Workshop · Extended Workshop
From Diagnosis to Dialogue: A Skills-Based Workshop on Pediatric Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
Souraya Torbey · Nadia Zaim · Gaelle Rached · Caitlin Thompson
Advanced skills workshop preparing psychiatrists to assess somatic symptom and related disorders in pediatric medical settings, deliver the diagnosis therapeutically, and build function-focused behavioral treatment plans.
Posters (6)
- Clinical Correlates of Behavioral Holds and Mechanical Restraints Among Pediatric Behavioral Health Patients in Medical Settings — Ace A. Castillo et al.
- Lyme Disease and Its Association With Neurodiversity — Mohammad J. Rana et al.
- Neurocognitive Late Effects as Developmental Vulnerabilities: Psychosocial and Occupational Outcomes in Pediatric Cancer Survivors — Rhea Arya et al.
- Adverse Childhood Experiences and Long COVID: Integrating Psychosocial Risk Into Pediatric Mental Health Care — Austin D. Le et al.
- Mental Health Burden Among Pediatric Patients With Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis — Adaora O. Okeke
- Psychiatric Symptoms of Pediatric Patients With Anti – N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (Anti-NMDAR) Encephalitis in Philippine Children’s Medical Center — John Michael Landicho Reyes et al.
Friday, October 30
11:30–13:30 · Workshop · Other Programs
Heat and Environmental Toxins: What Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists Need to Know
Deborah R. Simkin · Tai West · Bettina Bernstein · Joshua R. Wortzel · Ankur Sharma
Interactive session on how heat and environmental neurotoxins such as endocrine disruptors, pesticides, particulate matter, heavy metals and food additives affect child neurodevelopment and mental health. Covers exposure assessment, clinical and organizational tools, and guidance for caregivers.
14:00–16:00 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives
Clinical Challenges in Providing Psychiatric Care to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Parents
Discusses clinical challenges in delivering psychiatric care to parents of NICU infants.
14:00–16:00 · Symposium
The Million Dollar Workup: Evidence for Nonpsychiatric Medical Evaluation in Early Psychosis Care
Megan Good · Jacqueline Alexandra Clauss · Jessica E. Becker · Sarah L. Moses · Rachel Ann Pellegrino · Regina Graham
Reviews evidence on the value of nonpsychiatric medical workups in the evaluation of early psychosis.
14:00–16:00 · Lecture
Medical Comorbidities and Contributors to Early Psychosis
Examines medical conditions and contributing factors that may underlie or accompany early psychosis presentations.
14:00–16:00 · Lecture
Presentation to Diagnosis: Comparing Medical Workup Protocols in First-Episode Psychosis
Compares different medical workup protocols used in evaluating first-episode psychosis.
Measurement-Based Care & Diagnosis · Schizophrenia & Psychosis
14:00–16:00 · Lecture
Evidence-Based Practices: A Systematic Review and Clinical Protocol for First-Episode Psychosis (FEP) Medical Evaluation
Presents a systematic review and a proposed clinical protocol for medical evaluation in first-episode psychosis.
Measurement-Based Care & Diagnosis · Schizophrenia & Psychosis
14:00–16:00 · Session · Clinical Perspectives
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Mental Health: A Novel Frontier for Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists
Soudabeh Givrad · Amalia Londoño Tobón · Wanjiku FM Njoroge · Stephanie Rademeyer · Mary C. Kimmel
Explores the emerging role of child and adolescent psychiatrists in supporting mental health in neonatal intensive care settings.
14:00–16:00 · Lecture
Cost-Effectiveness of Medical Workup in Early Psychosis Evaluations
Looks at the cost-effectiveness of performing nonpsychiatric medical workups in early psychosis evaluations.
15:00–17:00 · Lecture
Degenerative Diseases in Pediatric Neuropsychiatry: Integrating Neuropsychiatry and Neuropalliative Care
Covers neuropsychiatric care of children with degenerative diseases, combined with neuropalliative approaches.
15:00–17:00 · Lecture
Emerging Insights Into Functional Seizures: New Findings in Underlying Mechanisms and Treatment
Reviews recent findings on mechanisms and treatment of functional seizures.
Course · Institute
Neuropsychiatric Paradigms in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Theory Informing Clinical Practice
Jay Salpekar · Aaron Hauptman · Jagan K. Chilakamarri · Cassie D. Karlsson · Nadia Zaim · Kyung Eun Paik · Julio Quezada · Sigita Plioplys
Institute framing childhood neurologic and psychiatric disease as integrated rather than separate conditions, with sessions on degenerative diseases, catatonia, developmental regression, and functional neurologic symptoms.
Symposium · Clinical Perspectives
Autoimmune Encephalitis: 2026 Updates
GenaLynne C. Mooneyham · Leonardo V. Lopez · Eliza M. Gordon-Lipkin · Jessica Durkee-Shock · Shawn S. Glocker
NIH-led clinical update on autoimmune encephalitis in pediatric patients, covering recognition, workup, and treatment from psychiatry, genetics, and immunology perspectives.
Posters (2)
- Children With ADHD Are More Likely to Have Atopic Diseases: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Study — Sean Joseph Hollebeck et al.
- Investigating the Impact of Depression Symptoms on Confidence to Play in Injured Adolescent Athletes — Andrew Weiss et al.
Saturday, October 31
09:00–11:00 · Lecture
Checklists, Smartphrases, and Regression, Oh My: Improving Medical Evaluation of Behavior Change
Aishwarya Rajagopalan · Kristen Winsor · Rebecca V. Taylor
Describes tools such as checklists and smartphrases to improve the medical workup of behavior change in youth with neurodevelopmental disorders.
09:00–11:00 · Lecture
Heart Rate Variability and Quality-of-Life Outcomes Following a Biofeedback-Enhanced CBT Intervention for Adolescents With Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Reports heart rate variability and quality-of-life results after a biofeedback-enhanced CBT intervention for adolescents with IBD.
09:30–11:30 · Session · Clinical Perspectives
Bridging the Gut and the Brain: Integrated Care for Pediatric Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction
Souraya Torbey · Nadia Zaim · Shaija Kutty · Heather Burke · Erika A. Chiappini · Sofia Wicker Velez
Covers integrated, multidisciplinary care for children with disorders of gut-brain interaction, bringing together psychiatry, gastroenterology, psychology and nutrition perspectives.
09:30–11:30 · Lecture
The Gut Side of the Bridge: Diagnosis and Medical Management of Pediatric Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction
Covers diagnosis and medical management of pediatric disorders of gut-brain interaction from the gastroenterology perspective.
09:30–11:30 · Lecture
Integrating Psychiatric Care in the Management of Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction
Discusses how psychiatric care can be integrated into management of disorders of gut-brain interaction.
09:30–11:30 · Lecture
The Psychological Side of the Bridge: Assessment and Intervention in Pediatric Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction
Presents psychological assessment and intervention approaches for pediatric disorders of gut-brain interaction.
09:30–11:30 · Lecture
Medical Nutrition Therapy for Pediatric Disorders of Gut-Brain Interactions: Symptom‑Driven, Individualized Care
Describes individualized, symptom-driven nutrition therapy for children with disorders of gut-brain interaction.
10:00–12:00 · Lecture
Psychotherapeutic Aspects of Psycho-Oncology
Examines psychotherapeutic approaches in pediatric psycho-oncology.
10:00–12:00 · Lecture
Psychopharmacological Aspects of Psycho-Oncology
Reviews medication considerations for psychiatric care of children with cancer.
10:00–12:00 · Lecture
Utilizing a Multidisciplinary Approach in Psycho-Oncology
Explores multidisciplinary team approaches in pediatric psycho-oncology.
10:00–12:00 · Lecture
Incorporating Family Work in Psycho-Oncology
Discusses including families in psychiatric care for pediatric oncology patients.
10:00–12:00 · Session
Kind, Compassionate, and Indicated: Navigating the Ethics of Nonindicated Medical Requests
Mahdieh Bodaghi · Sohail A. Nibras · Michael Lotke
A pediatric consultation-liaison case conference on handling caregiver requests for testing that is not clinically indicated, including distinguishing family advocacy and medical mistrust from factitious disorder imposed on another. Covers communication strategies and ethics and risk management frameworks.
10:00–12:00 · Session
Illness, Trauma, and Loss: Lessons From Pediatric Psycho-Oncology
Jennifer Dorr · Anna C. Muriel · Mohamed Taha Jasser · Andrew Elliott · Julia A. Kearney
11:00–12:30 · Session
Expanding Partnerships for Pediatric Catatonia: Moving From a National Working Group to Local Implementation
Joshua Ryan Smith · Nasuh Malas · Khyati Brahmbhatt
Special interest group on turning the work of a national pediatric catatonia workgroup into local practice. Uses breakout discussions on the white paper, clinical pathway, multisite study and implementation strategies.
Catatonia · Child & Adolescent · Practice, Policy & Workforce
12:30–14:30 · Session
The Many Colors of Catatonia: Practical Recognition in Complex Pediatric Presentations
Sohail A. Nibras · Julia A. Gex · Pamela A. Campbell · Claudia Moreno · Danielle W. Lowe
A clinical case conference using three complex adolescent cases to illustrate recognizing and treating catatonia. It covers pharmacologic and ECT-based approaches and the leadership role of consultation-liaison psychiatrists in interdisciplinary teams.
Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders · Catatonia · Child & Adolescent
13:30–15:00 · Session · Clinical Perspectives
Building Parental Identity in the NICU: A Pathway to Resilience in 3 Academic Centers
Roberta Guimaraes De Oliveira · J. Rebecca Weis · Katherine Schwartz · Daniel Eison · Lindsey Wright · Stephanie Rademeyer
A clinical perspectives session on supporting parents' identity and resilience in the neonatal intensive care unit, drawing on experience from three academic centers.
Posters (7)
- Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Adolescents Exposed to Parental Cancer Diagnosis — Lauren M. Kaseman et al.
- Neuropsychological and Psychiatric Outcomes During Isotretinoin Treatment in Adolescents With Acne Vulgaris — Hansa Betül Öz Genişoğlu et al.
- Mental Health History and Perioperative Opioid Outcomes in Adolescents: A Propensity-Matched Cohort Analysis — Anjali Pathak et al.
- Examining the Role of Perfectionistic Self-Presentation and Parental Alienation on Physical and Mental Health Among Adolescents From a High-Achieving School — Alexis A. Anello et al.
- Nonpsychiatric Medical Comorbidities in Suicidality-Related Emergency Department Visits Among US Children and Adolescents, 2016–2022 — Ayse K. Coskun et al.
- Social Determinants and Cognitive Correlates of Pediatric Somatic Symptom Disorders: A US Case-Control Study — Rochaknaveen Bains et al.
- Psychiatric Comorbidities in Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (PNES): Analysis of an Inpatient Pediatric Unit and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service — Vanessa Villalpando et al.
Other topics at this meeting
Child & Adolescent 1361Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders 272Diverse & Underserved Populations 231Practice, Policy & Workforce 171Psychotherapy 166Education & Training 156Digital Psychiatry & AI 149Measurement-Based Care & Diagnosis 145ADHD 135Neuroscience & Mechanisms 124PTSD & Trauma 114Suicide & Self-Harm 110