Boston doctor discusses pandemic’s impact on teen girls’ mental health

Boston psychiatrist discusses pandemic’s impact on teenage girls’ mental health

Updated: 6:19 PM EDT Jul 13, 2023

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NEWSCENTER 5 AT 530. ALL RIGHT. THERE’S NEW EVIDENCE OF THE GROWING MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IMPACTING OUR KIDS. RECENT ANALYSIS SHOWS THE SURGE IN E.R. VISITS FOR PSYCHIATRIC CONCERNS DURING THE PANDEMIC WAS DRIVEN LARGELY BY YOUNG GIRLS AGES 13 TO 17. SO HERE WERE SOME INSIGHT AS DR. KHADIJAH BOOTH WATKINS, SHE’S A CHILD PSYCHIATRIST AND THE CO-DIRECTOR OF THE CLAY CENTER FOR YOUNG HEALTHY MINDS AT MG. DR. BOOTH WATKINS, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. THANKS FOR HAVING ME BACK. SO DOES IT SURPRISE YOU THAT THAT GROUP, YOUNG GIRLS AGES 13 TO 17, WAS IMPACTED SO STRONGLY? YES OR NO? MEAN AT THIS POINT, WE ALL KNOW THAT WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. AND SO BOYS AND GIRLS ARE BOTH UTILIZING THE EMERGENCY ROOMS AT HIGH RATES. BUT IT’S NOT SURPRISING IF WE RECALL, THAT THE SOCIAL MEDIA HAD A MORE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR GIRLS AND ALSO THE ROLE THAT STIGMA MAY BE PLAYING HERE. YOU KNOW, GIRLS ARE MORE OFTEN LIKELY TO TALK ABOUT THEIR STRUGGLES AND DISTRESSES AND ASK FOR HELP. WHEREAS FOR BOYS, BECAUSE OF THE STIGMA, THEY MAY BE LESS LIKELY TO TALK ABOUT IT AND LESS LIKELY TO ASK FOR HELP BECAUSE THEY MIGHT SEE IT AS WEAKNESS OR MIGHT BE AFRAID THAT THEIR, YOU KNOW, PEERS OR FAMILY MEMBERS MIGHT SEE IT AS A WEAKNESS. SO THERE IS NO REAL ONE EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THERE’S THIS GAP. BUT THERE IS THIS GAP. AND SO WE DO NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT MORE. WHAT DOES IT TELL YOU, DR. WATKINS, THAT THESE YOUNG WOMEN AND THEIR PARENTS, THEY’RE GOING DIRECTLY TO THE E.R. FOR CARE, TELLS ME A COUPLE OF THINGS. IT TELLS ME THAT MEAN WE THINK ABOUT THE EMERGENCY ROOM. WE USE IT WHEN WE’RE IN CRISIS, WHEN WE’RE WHEN THEIR SAFETY ISSUES. AND SO IT TELLS ME THAT THESE THESE FAMILIES ARE IN CRISIS, THESE YOUNG GIRLS ARE IN CRISIS, AND THERE MAY BE SAFETY CONCERNS. THERE MAY BE SUICIDALITY, HOMICIDE ALITY, THEY MAY BE SELF INJURY. AND SO THEY HAVE TO USE THE EMERGENCY ROOM TO KEEP THEIR CHILD SAFE. BUT ALTERNATIVELY, YOU KNOW, IF WE THINK ABOUT THE LACK OF EDUCATION AS IT RELATES TO MENTAL HEALTH, YOU KNOW, OFTEN IT’S NOT THE SIGNS OF SYMPTOMS AREN’T NOTICED EARLY ENOUGH. AND SO SO THEY’RE LEFT TO KIND OF GO ON AND ON TILL THEY REACH THE CRISIS POINT. BUT THEY’RE ALSO OCCASIONS WHERE FAMILIES WANT TO GET HELP FOR THEIR KIDS. AND DUE TO THE WORKFORCE SHORTAGES, THEY REALLY DON’T HAVE ANY OTHER RECOURSE THAN TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. YEAH, CERTAINLY A SHORTAGE OF THERAPISTS AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. SO THE SURVEY OF INSURANCE CLAIMS SHOWED THE BIGGEST ISSUES IN THIS SURGE WERE SUICIDAL AND SELF-HARMING BEHAVIOR. AND EATING DISORDERS. SO WHAT SHOULD PARENTS BE WATCHING FOR WHEN IT COMES TO THESE CONDITIONS AND WHEN IT’S TIME TO HELP IT? I ALWAYS SAY LOOK, FOR MAJOR CHANGES. SO MAJOR CHANGES IN THEIR MOOD. SUDDENLY THEY’RE MOODY, DEPRESSED. THERE’S ANXIETY. THERE MAY BE MORE IRRITABLE, THEY’RE WITHDRAWN, THEY’RE ISOLATED. AND AS IT RELATES TO THE EATING DISORDERS PART OF IT, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT BECOME MORE COMPULSIVE OR EXCESSIVE ABOUT EXERCISE AND SUDDENLY THEY MIGHT EAT ALONE OR IN SECRET. THEY MIGHT BEGIN TALKING MORE AND BE MORE OBSESSED ABOUT THEIR BODY IMAGE AND THE BODY IMAGE OF OTHERS. THEY MAY OFTEN, YOU KNOW, VOMIT AFTER EATING OR SPEND LONG, LONG PERIODS OF TIME IN THE BATHROOM IMMEDIATELY AFTER MEALS AND YOU MAY ALSO NOTICE MARKS OR SCARS ON THEIR KNUCKLES OR THE BACK OF THEIR HANDS. UM, THESE ARE ALL SIGNS AND CLUES THAT THERE IS CONCERNS FOR EATING DISORDERS. BUT AGAIN, ANY MAJOR CHANGES IN MOOD AND ANXIETY DEFINITELY IS OF CONCERN. AND OF COURSE, IF THEIR SAFETY CONCERNS TALK OF SUICIDALITY, THEN THAT’S AN EMERGENCY. IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION. DR. RUTH WAT

Boston psychiatrist discusses pandemic’s impact on teenage girls’ mental health

Updated: 6:19 PM EDT Jul 13, 2023

A recent analysis shows the surge in ER visits for psychiatric concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic was driven largely by girls ages 13 to 17.

BOSTON —

A recent analysis shows the surge in ER visits for psychiatric concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic was driven largely by girls ages 13 to 17.

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