SAFETY EXPERT TROOPER STEVE. THIS IS NEWS. 6 AT 09:00AM GETTING RESULTS.
>> CANDACE: MAY IS MENTAL
HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. A TIME
WHEN ADVOCATES URGE THOSE WHO
MAY BE STRUGGLING TO REACH OUT
FOR HELP.
>> JULIE: WE’VE TALKED A LOT
ABOUT HOW THE CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC HAS PUSHED AMERICANS
INTO A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
ONE 2021 STUDY SHOWS THE
PANDEMIC SIGNIFICANTLY
AFFECTED MENTAL HEALTH OF TEEN
GIRLS. SO HOW CAN WE HELP
MORNING ANCHOR AND HEALTH
REPORTER KIRSTIN O’CONNOR IS
STANDING BY NOW TO ASK A
DOCTOR.
>> ASK A DOCTOR IS SPONSORED
BY CAN BE PRIMARY CARE
PROCEEDINGS.
>> CONSEQUENCES STEMMING FROM
THE PANDEMIC HAVE BEEN
TREMENDOUS. WE ALL KNOW THAT
AND DISCONNECTION FROM KIDS
THAT ARE IN SCHOOL OR FRIENDS
CHANGES TO ROUTINE, OF COURSE,
ISOLATION. PARTLY TO BLAME. SO
HERE NOW TO TALK ABOUT MENTAL
HEALTH, SPECIFICALLY WITH TEEN
GIRLS IS DOCTOR MONICA
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST WITH
ORLANDO HEALTH. THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE WITH US. THIS IS
>> JULIE: A VERY IMPORTANT TO
HIGHLIGHT MENTAL HEALTH. AND
THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE COMMITTED
TO THAT YOUR WHOLE CAREER AND
IS THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT
TOPIC TO TALK ABOUT BRINGING
LIGHT TO SO WE CAN SUPPORT
BOTH OUR TEEN GIRLS AS WELL AS
PARENTS. WE’RE TRYING TO
SUPPORT THEM AS MUCH AS THEY
CAN. AND THE PARENTS OF OF
GIRLS IN GENERAL. I MEAN, MY
DAUGHTER IS ONLY 15 MONTHS
OLD, BUT IT IS ALARMING TO
HEAR THAT GIRLS ARE BEING
AFFECTED DISPROPORTIONATELY AT
LEAST IN THE STATISTICS THAT
WE’RE SEEING FROM THE
PANDEMIC. SO WHAT CAN YOU SAY
ABOUT YOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH
TEEN GIRLS AND MAYBE WHERE
SOME OF THAT IS COMING FROM.
YES, LIKE WE’VE BEEN A LOT OF,
YES, IT’S IMPACTING BOYS AS
WELL. BUT WE’RE SEEING IT A
LOT MORE FEMALES TEND TO
INTERNALIZE LOT OF STRESSORS
KIND OF KEEPING THOSE THINGS
AND MAYBE NOT COMMUNICATING AS
MUCH AND WITHDRAWING,
ESPECIALLY WE’RE SEEING MORE
DEPRESSION. A LOT OF ANXIETY
AND A LOT OF AVOIDANCE OF
SCHOOL AND SOCIAL SITUATIONS
WHICH IS INTERESTING BECAUSE
THOSE WERE KIND OF TAKEN A
WAVE OF COVID AND KIND OF
RETURNING TO THEM HAS BEEN
PRETTY ANXIETY PROVOKING FOR A
LOT OF TEENS. SO WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE
TO A PARENT? YES, SO A GOOD
EXAMPLE. WE THINK ABOUT WHAT
CAUSES THE THINGS THAT MAKE US
UNCOMFORTABLE. NERVOUS. WE
TEND TO NATURALLY AVOID LIKE
WE WOULD A HOT STOVE. WE FEEL
HE PULL AWAY NATURALLY. IT’S
PROTECTIVE THINGS THAT CAN BE
AVOIDED A LOT BY TEENS ARE
SCHOOL OR SOCIAL SETTINGS ARE
BEING AROUND PEERS, THINGS
THAT THEY’RE QUESTIONING. WHAT
IF I MAKE A MISTAKE WEARING
ABOUT TEST AND FOR A LOT OF
TEENS. GETTING CAUGHT BACK UP
WITH ACADEMICS AFTER THE
PANDEMIC ARE A LOT OF KIDS WHO
HAVE BEEN SICK IS A BIG STRESS
OR VERY RECENTLY. AND SO ARE
THEY CALLING OUT OF SCHOOL OR
WHAT WERE SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT PARENTS ARE TELLING YOU?
AND THEN YOU’RE THINKING,
OKAY, THIS MAY BE ANXIETY.
YEAH. SOMETIMES GETTING THEM
TO SCHOOL IS THE HARDEST
THING. GETTING THEM TO GET UP.
SOMETIMES THIS MAY LOOK LIKE
SOMATIC SYMPTOMS WHICH MEANS
HEADACHES OR STOMACH ACHES ARE
FEELING REALLY NOXIOUS.
SOMETIMES. YOU KNOW, IT’S
ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE
THERE’S NOTHING WRONG. MAKING
SURE WE SEE OUR G I WE SEEN OR
OVER GETTING HEADACHES AND
SEEING IS THIS SOMETHING THAT
ANXIETY MAY BE PLAYING A PART
IN AND IS IT PRETTY EASY TO
DIAGNOSE OFTEN? I USUALLY GET
THOSE REFERRALS. ONCE THEY
HAVE SEEN G TO LIKE, YOU KNOW,
THE BODY IS LOOKING GOOD, BUT
WE’RE HAVING SOME TROUBLE WITH
NERVES ARE HAVING SOME TROUBLE
GETTING TO SCHOOL. STAY IN
SCHOOL AND THEY’RE THE KEY
THING IS FIRST LETTING THEM
KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING AND WHY
IT’S HAPPENING IN HELPING THEM
GET THE TOOLS TO MANAGE THE
NERVES AND GETTING THEM BACK
TO THEIR DAY TO DAY AT SCHOOL.
LET’S SAY THAT YOU’RE A PARENT
WHO ALREADY KNOWS THAT YOUR
CHILD SUFFERS FROM SOME
ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION AND
YOU’RE TRYING TO NAVIGATE
THESE BIG LIFE EVENTS WITH
THEM. THEY’RE GOING BACK TO
SCHOOL. MAYBE THEY HAVE GRAD
BASH WHERE THEY HAVE, YOU
KNOW, SOME OF THESE EXCITING
LIFE EVENTS COMING UP.
>> CANDACE: AND YOU DON’T WANT
THEM TO MISS OUT, BUT THEY’RE
FEELING THAT ANXIETY. WHAT’S
WHAT’S SOMETHING? YOU CAN TELL
THEM TO HELP THEM WORK
THROUGH. WHAT I TELL. PARENTS
AND TEENS OFTEN ANXIETY TAKES
US 2 WAYS EITHER WORRYING
ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED.
WHAT’S GOING WHAT’S WORRYING
ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN,
YOU KNOW, HELPING THEM
REGULATE THEIR BREATHING. GET
COMING BACK TO RIGHT NOW THIS
MOMENT. AND WHAT CAN WE
CONTROL CALMING HER NERVES AND
PROBLEM SOLVING IF THERE IS
SOMETHING THAT THEY’RE WORRIED
ABOUT, MY FRIENDS AREN’T GOING
TO GO WELL, LET’S ASK THEM
PROMS A LOT OF TEAMS DON’T
WANT TO GO BY THEMSELVES BUT
ARE REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT
BRINGING THE TOPIC UP WITH
FRIENDS. SO HELPING THEM BRING
THEM BACK TO RIGHT NOW AND
HELP THEM PROBLEM SOLVED. IF
IF THEY NEED THAT SUPPORT AND
THEN WORSE CASE SCENARIOS,
LET’S SAY A TEEN REALLY IS IN
CRISIS. WHAT SHOULD A PARENT
DO TO HELP THAT TEEN? WHAT ARE
SOME WARNING SIGNS THAT THEY
NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR? SOME BIG
WARNING SIGNS IS SOME OF THESE
PATTERNS, SOMETIMES A CHILD’S
MAYBE A LITTLE MORE NERVOUS
BEFORE AN EXAM OR NERVOUS
BECAUSE PROMISE COMING YOUR
GRADUATION AND ALL EYES ARE ON
THEM OTHER TIMES, IT MAY BE
MORE CHRONIC. THEY MAY BE
MISSING SCHOOL. 2 TO 3 TIMES
ARE MISSING THEIR FIRST
PERIOD. THOSE ARE ALL SIGNS
THAT THIS MAY BE A LITTLE BIT
BIGGER THAN JUST THOSE THAT
BUTTERFLIES IN THEIR STOMACH
AND GETTING THEM THAT SUPPORT
OR FUSSY FINDING SOMEONE, EVEN
IF SOMEBODY IN THE FAMILY, IF
YOU’RE MORE COMFORTABLE
TALKING TO ARE TALKING ABOUT
THIS. BUT IF YOU’RE STARTING
TO SEE THIS ISN’T MY NORMAL
CHILD, THERE ARE A LITTLE BIT
MORE WITHDRAWN, PROBABLY A
LITTLE MORE BEARABLE. THOSE
ARE ALL SIGNS AS WELL. ALL
RIGHT. LOTS OF GOOD