Book excerpt: At the founding in 1896 of the first psychological clinic dedicated to children and adolescents, the study of the psychological treatment of young people lagged behind that of adults, and the basic psychopathology underlying mental disorders in this population was largely ignored. Since those early days, the field has evolved steadily and, in recent years, exponentially. The Oxford Handbook of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology is a state-of-the-science volume providing comprehensive coverage of the psychological problems and disorders of childhood. International in scope and penned by the discipline's most eminent scientists and practitioners, the handbook begins with a section on conceptual and empirical issues, followed by exceptional content on specific psychiatric disorders such as intellectual disability, externalizing and internalizing disorders, communication disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, personality disorders, and many more. The third section offers chapters on special problems in childhood and adolescence, including divorce, the incarceration of parents, suicide and non-suicidal self-injury, bullying, and medical illness. A fourth section covers delivery of clinical services in diverse settings, such as schools and prisons, and the handbook concludes with several chapters on emerging trends and future directions for the field. Conceptually rich and evidence-based, this handbook is an essential resource for students, practitioners, and researchers, providing a cutting-edge compendium of the latest theoretical and empirical developments by leaders of the discipline.