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Neuropsychological aspects are of relevance to a variety of psychological concerns, especially in assessments. But is this trend represented in journals which do not explicitly refer to neuropsychologists? To investigate this question, publications in 2008 and 2009 editions of representative German journals on child psychology and psychiatry were bibliometrically analyzed. Main topics of neuropsychological publications were attention disorders and diagnostic issues. Neuropsychological findings support the development of assessment instruments and interventions and help improve the basic understanding of disorders and treatment limitations. For example, reduced attention or memory resources are possible hindrances for individual progress in cognitive behavioral intervention. An intensified dialogue of the disciplines is essential for developing advanced guidelines for diagnostics and therapy.

Infant psychiatry, a relatively new and growing field, recognizing that clinically relevant problems can be identified in infants and young children. Infant mental health emphasizes the importance of both preventive intervention and treatment approaches. The World Association for Infant Mental Health is an interdisciplinary and international organization devoted to furthering our understanding of infant psychiatry with the following goals: (i) to promote education, research and study of the effects of emotional development during infancy on later normal and pathological development; (ii) to promote research and study of the mental health of parents, families, and other caregivers of infants; (iii) to promote the development of scientifically based programs of care, intervention, and prevention of mental impairment in infancy; and (iv) to facilitate international cooperation among individuals concerned with promoting optimal development of individuals. In this paper, I will present current work on major areas of concern for infant psychiatry and relate them to psychoanalytic perspectives in this area.