BACK, EVERYONE. YOU KNOW, MENTAL HEALTH IN CHILDREN IS GETTING WORSE. ACCORDING TO
STATISTICS. IT IS A CRISIS
THAT MANY BELIEVE WE NEED TO
GRAB A HOLD OF IT. NOW THE
STATE OF PEDIATRIC MENTAL
HEALTH REPORT IN AMERICA FOR
THIS YEAR FOUND MORE THAN 2.7
MILLION AMERICAN CHILDREN AND
TEENAGERS ARE LIVING WITH
SEVERE DEPRESSION. 60% OF THAT
GROUP RECEIVED NO MENTAL
HEALTH TREATMENT DESPITE HOW
THEY’RE FEELING NOW, AS WE
RECOGNIZE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAY
TOMORROW, WE BELIEVE NOW IS
THE TIME TO LEARN HOW TO
IDENTIFY CONCERNING BEHAVIORS
ADDRESS WITH YOUR KIDS. YOUNG.
SO JOINING ME NOW TO TALK MORE
ABOUT COLLEEN RODRIGUEZ IS THE
CEO OF L JD JEWISH FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY SERVICES AND ALSO A
LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL
WORKER. SO THANKS FOR COMING
IN, CALLING TO YOU KNOW, WE
TALK ABOUT THIS. I FEEL LIKE
WE’RE MORE AWARE OF MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES. WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT IT. MORE KIDS ARE
TALKING ABOUT IT MORE, BUT IT
JUST SEEMS LIKE WE’RE IN WORSE
POSITION THAN WE WERE EVEN
BEFORE IT CAME UP.
>> IS IT THAT WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT IT MORE THAT WERE JUST
MORE AWARE OF THIS? I THINK
THAT WE ARE MORE AWARE AND I’M
GLAD WE’RE TRYING TO NORMALIZE
MENTAL HEALTH. WE TALK ABOUT
PHYSICAL HEALTH ALL THE TIME
WITHOUT ANY CONCERNS AND WE
NEED TO BE THAT COMFORTABLE
TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH.
BUT I THINK IT’S THE NEXT STEP
REALLY PAYING ATTENTION.
EVERYONE THINK SO. NOT IN MY
HOME. NOT MY CHILDREN, BUT WE
NEED BE AWARE THAT IT IS ALL
CHILDREN THAT ARE ARE DEALING
WITH STRESS, WHETHER IT’S
SOCIAL MEDIA ARE WAS SCHOOL
AND WE NEED TO BE TALKING TO
THEM AND SEEKING HELP WHEN IT
SEEMS BIGGER THAN WHAT THEY’RE
ABLE TO HANDLE. AND I THINK
WHEN IT COMES TO PARENTING,
YOU THINK, OH, I DON’T WANT TO
INTRODUCE SOMETHING TO YOUR
CHILD SO YOU DON’T TALK ABOUT
IT. BUT HOW YOUNG SHOULD YOU
BE TALKING ABOUT DEPRESSION
AND EMOTIONS AND MAYBE EVEN
SUICIDAL FEELINGS JUST LIKE
YOU CAN GET A HANDLE ON WHAT
YOUR CHILD’S DEALING WITH. SO
I THINK IT HAS TO BE AGE
APPROPRIATE. BUT I THINK WE
START TALKING JUST LIKE I SAID
ABOUT WE TALK ABOUT PHYSICAL
HEALTH. HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
HOW’S YOUR HEAD? HAS YOUR
STOMACH? HOW? HOW IS YOUR
SPIRIT FEELING HOUSE? HOW ARE
YOU FEELING? SAD AND WHAT ARE
THOSE EMOTIONS AND GIVING THEM
THE WORDS AND THE TOOLS TO BE
ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WHEN
SOMETHING ISN’T RIGHT.
DEPRESSION LOOKS DIFFERENT AND
DIFFERENT AGES AND DIFFERENT
SEXES AND DIFFERENT AND HOMES.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR A
YOUNG CHILD? I WOULD BE
LOOKING AT CHANGE IN APPETITE,
CHANGE IN SLEEP CHANGE IN
MOOD. ARE THEY ANGRY?
SOMETIMES ANGER. DEPRESSION IS
MASKED BY ANGER. ARE THEY ARE
THEY SAD? ARE THEY WITHDRAWING
FROM ACTIVITIES THAT NORMALLY
THEY WOULD ENGAGE? YOU’RE
YOU’RE THE PARENT. YOU’RE, YOU
KNOW, TRUST YOUR IF YOUR
CHILD’S BEHAVIOR IS CHANGING,
I’LL BE TALKING TO THE SCHOOL
AS WELL. ARE THEY SEEING
CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR AT SCHOOL
AND DAYCARE AND THEN OBVIOUSLY
SEEKING HELP? IF YOU NEED TO
KNOW IT’S FUNNY. MY SON IS NOW
10, BUT I REMEMBER LAST YEAR
SO THAT YOU COME HOME AND HE
WAS JUST LIKE NEED LIKE SISTER
AND ME. AND I WAS LIKE I WAS
LIKE WHAT YOU CAN’T AT THIS.
WE DO NOT GO THAT WAY. SO
FINALLY, I ASKED HIM, I SAID,
WHAT’S GOING ON AT SCHOOL
THAT’S MAKING YOU ACT THIS
WAY. AND WE TALKED AND I GOT
OUT, YOU GOT TO I GOT OUT OF
HIM THAT.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: JAY, THEY
WERE HAVING A ROUGH TIME OF
FOOTBALL. HE WAS KIND OF BEING
BULLIED A LITTLE BIT. AND SO
THAT WAS WHY HE WAS BEHAVING
THAT WAY. SO QUICK TO LIKE
PUNISHING PARENT BY THAT. I
FORGOT TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.
I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO BE SO
INTUITIVE AND NOTICE THOSE
CHANGES AND KNOW THAT THAT’S
NOT NORMAL AND SOMETHING’S
GOING TRY TO WHAT IS NORMAL.
WHAT’S NOT? YEAH. HELP US WITH
THOSE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE
FOR ME, IT TOOK ME A COUPLE OF
DAYS. SO FINALLY, I WAS LIKE
SOMETHING’S GOING ON HERE
RIGHT? I THINK IT’S JUST BEING
HONEST.
>> AND BEING TRUTHFUL THAT YOU
DON’T SEE SEEM OFF. SOMETHING
DOESN’T SEEM RIGHT WITH YOU.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TRUST ME ON
YOUR PARENT. I’LL KEEP IT
BETWEEN THE 2 OF US. BUT I’M
WORRIED ABOUT YOU AND WE NEED
TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
>> AND NOT FIT USING THAT
FACE-TO-FACE. YOU’RE BETTER
OFF IN THE CAR. USUALLY. I
TELL EVERYTHING ME. I’M
SURPRISED AT WHAT I CAN GET
OUT OF THE WOOD WERE IN THE
CAR. GO OUTSIDE, TOSS THE BALL
AROUND. GET IN OR OUT. I LOVE.
I LOVE BECAUSE MY SOME SOME
WANT MY DAUGHTERS YOUNGER AND
SHE’LL START TALKING OVER ME
AND HE’S LIKE SOME TALK IN
MOMMY’S WHAT ABOUT?
>> YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT
SUICIDE AND, YOU KNOW, I DON’T
KNOW. I MEAN, IT’S SUCH A HARD
ONE BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING
THAT YOU’RE TRYING TO
NORMALIZE THAT AS WELL AS SAYS
TO TO STICKS ARE ALARMING.
YEAH. AT CAD AMIAH PEDIATRICS
RECENTLY PUT OUT ABOUT 8% OF
ADOLESCENTS HAD ATTEMPTED
SUICIDE. SO IT’S A REAL THREAT
AND AGAIN, TAKES CONVERSATION.
IT TAKES PAYING ATTENTION,
REALLY BEING IN TUNE WITH
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH YOUR
CHILD. AND IF AT ANY POINT YOU
HAVE CONCERN TAKING ACTION.
AND AND LET ME JUST TALK ABOUT
RESOURCES BECAUSE I I KNOW
PARENTS THAT FEEL LIKE THEY
DON’T NECESSARILY HAVE THEM,
YOU KNOW, MAYBE US INSURANCE.
MAYBE IT’S SOMETHING. BUT
WHERE CAN PARENTS GO TO GET
HELP? SEVERAL OPTIONS WITH ITS
AN IMMEDIATE THREAT. IF YOU IF
YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR CHILD
DANGER RIGHT NOW, YOU NEED TO
EITHER CALL 9, 1, LINE OR TAKE
THEM TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
THERE’S ALSO THE SUICIDE
CRISIS LINE. 9, 8, 8, 8, YOU
CAN CALL. I WOULD TALK TO YOUR
PEDIATRICIAN IF YOU DON’T
THINK IT’S AN IMMEDIATE JEWISH
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES,
OF COURSE, HAS THERAPISTS ON
SITE BOTH IN SCHOOLS AND IN
THE OFFICE. AND YOUR SCHOOL
COUNSELOR IS AN OPTION AND
YOUR PEDIATRICIAN AGAIN, I
WOULD SAY REACHING OUT TO SAY,
WHO CAN I SEEK HELP FROM AND
DON’T BE AFRAID. I MEAN, I
THINK THE SCHOOL IS A GREAT
RESOURCE BECAUSE WHERE THEY
RAISE THE FUNDING FOR
COUNSELORS AND THEY ARE
AVAILABLE TO ALL OF OUR DON’T
BE WORRIED ABOUT THE STIGMA.
CLEARLY, IT IS A BIGGER
PROBLEM WE LIKE TO ADMIT HERE