Doctor on ‘common’ mental health disorders in kids
Updated: 5:36 PM EDT Jun 14, 2023
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MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS ARE, QUOTE, COMMON AMONG SCHOOL AGE KIDS. HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AS DOCTOR ALICE CONNORS, CALVIN, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER, THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. HEY, DOCTOR, IT’S GREAT TO SEE ME. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. SO LET’S LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEW DATA FROM THE CDC 2021 RESEARCHERS SAY ABOUT 8%, JUST A TICK, OVER 8.2% OF KIDS BETWEEN FIVE AND 17 TOOK MEDICATION FOR THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AND ABOUT 12% JUST UNDER THAT RECEIVED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING OR THERAPY. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE REASONS AND ARE THOSE STATISTICS ALARMING? I’M GOING TO MAKE IT A TWO FULL QUESTION. SURE. SO THESE STATISTICS MAY SEEM REALLY SURPRISING. IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF THE MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS EXPERIENCED BY ADULTS ACTUALLY START IN CHILDHOOD AND KIDS REALLY EXPERIENCE MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS FOR A LOT OF THE SAME REASONS THAT ADULTS DO. ONE FACTOR IS THAT KIDS ARE EXPERIENCED OWING A LOT OF STRESS. UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THIS IS DUE TO ISOLATION AND ACADEMIC LAGS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. SOME OF IT IS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA AND HOW FAST TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING SOME OF IT IS STRESS FROM THEIR PERSONAL LIVES AND SOME OF IT IS STRESS DUE TO BEING AWARE OF SITUATIONS AND EVENTS IN THE NEWS, SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE AND A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT INEQUITY FOR SURE. AND THEY’RE SURROUNDED BY THAT TOO. I MEAN, THEY’RE COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY IT. YEAH. YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD MENTION THAT THE SURVEY ALSO FOUND THAT BOYS WERE MORE LIKELY TO RECEIVE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION THAN GIRLS. WHY THE DIFFERENCE? YES, THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION. SO A BIG REASON FOR THAT IS BOYS TEND TO BE WHAT WE CALL EXTERNAL USERS, WHERE THEY REALLY ACT OUT WHAT THEY’RE EXPERIENCING ON THE INSIDE, WHEREAS GIRLS TEND TO BE MORE INTERNALLY USERS. THEY KEEP THEIR FEELINGS IN. AND SO ADULTS REALLY TEND TO NOTICE THAT BOYS ARE STRUGGLING MORE THAN THEY NOTICE THAT GIRLS ARE STRUGGLING. AND SO BOYS TEND TO BE REFERRED FOR SERVICES AND TREATMENT MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY. AND EARLIER THAN GIRLS ARE. DO BOYS STILL SAY, NO, NO, I’M NOT GOING TO DO IT, I’M A BOY. DO THEY STILL DO THAT? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY DO. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND IN MY EXPERIENCE, THAT’S VERY TRUE. I YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT STRUGGLING KIDS AND YOU MENTIONED THE PANDEMIC, AND THAT MAKES ME THINK, DO YOU THINK MORE OF THEM ARE GETTING PROFESSIONAL HELP TO. YES, I ABSOLUTELY THINK THAT MORE KIDS ARE GETTING PROFESSIONAL HELP. UNFORTUNATELY, RIGHT NOW WE’RE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE JUST DON’T HAVE THE NUMBER OF PROVIDERS TO MEET THE NEED THAT EXISTS AS KIDS. MENTAL HEALTH IS IS WORSENING PRIMARILY DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. AND AND ONE SIDE EFFECT OF THAT IS THAT IT CREATES DISPARITIES. SO FAMILIES WHO DON’T HAVE THE SOCIOECONOMIC RESOURCES OR FROM OUR FROM MARGINALIZED GROUPS ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE A HARDER TIME ACCESSING HELP FOR THEIR KIDS. UNFORTUNATE TRUTH. ALL RIGHT.
Doctor on ‘common’ mental health disorders in kids
Updated: 5:36 PM EDT Jun 14, 2023
Dr. Alice Connors-Kellgren, a clinical psychologist at Tufts Medical Center, answers questions about mental health disorders in school-age kids.
Dr. Alice Connors-Kellgren, a clinical psychologist at Tufts Medical Center, answers questions about mental health disorders in school-age kids.
