B. Clark’s scientific contributions

Mental health in children with neuromotor disorders is part of a dynamic system, including medical and developmental domains, family, school and community. Presentations are often complex and multifactorial, requiring a broad, individualized approach. A narrative overview of mental health symptoms in children with neuromotor disabilities is provided, along with recommendations for their assessment and management using the WHO's International Classification of Functioning framework.

Suicide is a leading cause of death among Canadian adolescents. The present practice point provides paediatricians and child health professionals with a framework for assessing the adolescent with suicidal thoughts and/or behaviours. The epidemiological context, general considerations and practical suggestions for how to approach the suicidal adolescent are reviewed. Paediatricians can and should screen youth for mental illness and significant psychosocial stressors. Early identification and treatment of mental illness are important ways in which paediatricians can assist in self-injury prevention for adolescents who are considering suicide.

The rising international trend in the number of parents who separate or divorce is raising concerns about longterm consequences for child and youth well-being and adjustment to adulthood. Separation and divorce may increase risks for negative outcomes in physical, mental, educational and psychosocial well-being during childhood and later, as youth transition to adulthood. Most children of separated and divorced families do not have significant or diagnosable impairments. Family processes that have a positive mediating effect on child well-being after parental divorce or separation include improving the quality of parenting, improving the quality of parent-child relationships and controlling hostile conflict. Physicians can offer support and guidance to separating parents by helping them to identify risk factors, strengthen protective factors and enhance children's capacity to cope with family changes.