Child mental health
When Adolescent Patients Transition to College: The Provider’s Role
“Any transition is a time that our patients can trip and fall,” explains Tina Nicholson, MD, a family doctor specializing in children and youth mental health. The transition to college, especially if it involves moving away from home, is no exception. To understand how providers can help adolescents navigate this transition, we spoke with REACH…
Read MoreUntangling ADHD and Anxiety as Comorbidities
“ADHD and anxiety presenting together is very common in children and adolescents. But it can be difficult to discern which is the primary condition and which to treat first,” explains Kari Overstreet, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, PMHS, a pediatric nurse practitioner focused on child psychiatry and a Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care (PPP)…
Read MoreNavigating the ADHD stimulant medication shortage
“The ADHD stimulant medication shortage is affecting patients, families, pharmacists, and clinicians,” explains Andrew Adesman, MD, a developmental pediatrician specializing in ADHD.
Read MoreSleep Smart: Back-to-School Edition
REACH faculty, Dr Kowatch, emphasizes that it’s essential for caregivers to recognize the challenges that can arise when transitioning from summer to a more structured school routine. “Parents have got to anticipate there may be an adjustment period for the first week or two.”
Read MoreResponding to the Alarming Rise of Depression in Adolescent Girls
Gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by adolescent girls and the proactive steps clinicians can take to support them.
Read MoreSupporting mental health needs in rural areas
Rural healthcare providers can be overwhelmed—and understaffed with specialists. Discover how REACH inspired Elizabeth Wallis, M.D., to build a community to support her patients.
Read MoreDon’t panic about panic attacks
“The impairment from a panic attack doesn’t come from the episode itself,” said REACH faculty member James Wallace, MD. “It comes from the patient’s and family’s reaction.”
Read MoreAssessing and treating substance abuse
“The risk of substance use starts at about age 10,” said Sam Chang, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist on the REACH faculty. “Prevention has to start before that. By the time kids reach adolescence, the horse has left the barn.”
Read MoreIs it ADHD? Or something else?
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common behavioral health disorders, affecting approximately 9% of all children and adolescents. About 75% of pediatric patients with ADHD have comorbid mental health conditions, ranging from oppositional-defiant disorder to anxiety and mood disorders.
What is a busy clinician to do? How do you discern whether a child who is, say, having difficulty focusing at school and at home has ADHD, anxiety, both, or something else?
Read MoreOne teen, 10 psychiatric drugs. This must stop!
On August 27, The New York Times ran an article by Matt Richtel titled “This Teen Was Prescribed 10 Psychiatric Drugs. She Is Not Alone.” It documents the practice of “polypharmacy”: prescribing multiple medications—most of which have not been tested either in children or in combination with one another—to manage young patients’ depression or anxiety.
That young patients are being prescribed potent cocktails of untested drugs is obviously wrong. The question is, how did we get to this point, and what can we do about it?
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