Monday, September 21, 2020

When to seek mental health help for your child: Questions to ask before therapy/hospitalization (Part 3 of 3)

 

 

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of

life’s longing for itself.

They come through you, but not from you.

And though they are with you,  they belong not to you...

you are the bow from which your children as living

arrows are sent forth.

from Kahlil Gibran,  The Prophet

Previously I’ve shared work from one of the UNR faculty, Tom Lavin, MFT, LADC. He recently wrote a piece for parents about when to seek help if they think their child is struggling.

While all of us are facing increased stress due to COVID-19, children are especially vulnerable. In addition to the worry about their health and the health of their loved ones, there is the disruption to their schedules, having to adjust to a new type of schooling/education, isolation from peers, and more. They are also surrounded by reminders about the fragility of life.

In a three-part series I am sharing Lavin’s advice* on when to seek help. Part one covered when to seek help for children and part two focused on teens. The series concludes with this post, adapted from Lavin’s work and the AACAP website, which focuses on some helpful questions to ask when considering outside help. 

If you are considering therapy for your child on an outpatient basis (i.e. not in a hospital setting), parents are encouraged to ask the following questions:

  • If someone else is suggesting that your child start therapy, why is it being recommended?
  • What type of therapy will my child receive?
  • What are some expected results?
  • How long will therapy last?
  • Will the family also receive therapy?
  • How will the family be included?
  • How will the family be informed about our child’s progress?
  • How can the family be most helpful and supportive?

If inpatient hospitalization is being recommended, the AACAP recommend that parents ask the following questions:   

  • Why is psychiatric inpatient treatment being recommended for our child, and how will it help our child?
  • What are the other treatment alternatives to hospital treatment, and how do they compare?
  • Is a child and adolescent psychiatrist admitting our child to the hospital?
  • What does the inpatient treatment include, and how will our child be able to keep up with schoolwork?
  • What are the responsibilities of the child and adolescent psychiatrist and other people on the treatment team?
  • How long will our child be in the hospital, how much will it cost, and how do we pay for these services?
  • What will happen if we can no longer afford to keep our child in this hospital or if the insurance company denies coverage and inpatient treatment is still necessary?
  • Will our child be on a unit specifically designed for the treatment of children and adolescents and is this hospital accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) as a treatment facility for youngsters of our child's age?
  • How will we as parents be involved in our child's hospital treatment, including the decision for discharge and after-care treatment?
  • How will the decision be made to discharge our child from the hospital?
  • Once our child is discharged, what are the plans for continuing or follow-up treatment?

 The AACAP web site contains much more information and is a reliable and trusted place to learn more. Click HERE for a list of Family Resources.

 

*The following resources were cited by Lavin: 

"Understanding Teen Depression” by Empfield and Bakalar  

“Overcoming Teen Depression: A Guide for Parents” by Miriam Kaufman, M.D.

  American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: www.AACP.org

 


Thursday, September 3, 2020

When to seek mental health help for your child: Teens (Part 2 or 3)

  All Children Develop at Their Own Pace – Even an Educator's Child |  Children's Services Council of Broward County                                                    

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of

life’s longing for itself.

They come through you, but not from you.

And though they are with you,  they belong not to you...

you are the bow from which your children as living

arrows are sent forth.

from Kahlil Gibran,  The Prophet

Previously I’ve shared work from one of the UNR faculty, Tom Lavin, MFT, LADC. He recently wrote a piece about when to seek help if your child is struggling.

While all of us are facing increased stress due to COVID-19, children are especially vulnerable. There is the disruption to their schedules, being out of school, isolation from peers, trying to learn in their home environment and more. They are also surrounded by reminders about the fragility of life.

In a three-part series I will share Lavin’s advice* on when to seek help, first for children and then for teens. The series concludes with some helpful suggestions about questions to ask when considering therapy. 

Today’s post focuses on teens. 

Sometimes parents are the first to recognize problems with their teen; sometimes they are the last to know. Parents who are concerned about a teen or pre-teen child can review the following checklist, provided by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). If parents recognize some of the signs below, a thorough evaluation by a mental-health professional may be useful.

  • Marked change in school performance
  • Abuse of alcohol or drugs
  • Inability to cope with problems
  • Inability to cope with daily activities
  • Marked changes in sleeping habits
  • Marked changes in eating habits
  • Many complaints about physical ailments
  • Aggressive behavior or frequent outbursts of anger
  • Violation of others’ rights
  • Opposition to authority
  • Truancy, theft, vandalism
  • Intense fear of becoming obese (with no relationship to actual body weight)
  • Depression (sustained negative mood and attitude, poor appetite, difficulty sleeping)

Teen Suicide Signs

Parents of teens need to be aware of the signs of suicide risk and know when to ask for professional help. Research cited by The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports that suicide among teens has risen dramatically in recent years. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 24 years of age.

Many of the symptoms of suicidal feelings are similar to the signs of depression. The AACAP recommends that if one or more of these signs occur parents talk to the child about their concern and seek professional help if concerns persist.

  • Change in sleeping habits
  • Change in eating habits
  • Withdrawal from friends, family and regular activities
  • Violent behavior
  • Drug or alcohol use
  • Unusual neglect of personal appearance
  • Marked personality change
  •  Decline in schoolwork
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • High level of boredom
  • Physical complaints (often related to emotions): stomachaches, headaches, fatigue
  • According to the AACAP, a teen who is contemplating suicide may also:
  • Complain of being “rotten inside”
  • Give verbal hints (“I won’t be a problem for you much longer”, “Nothing
  • matters”.)
  • Give away favorite possessions; throw away important belongings.

If a child or adolescent says “I want to kill myself”, always take that statement seriously and seek a professional help immediately. A parent can call 911, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit their site at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/, or contact their child’s primary care provider.  

*The following resources were cited by Lavin: 

"Understanding Teen Depression” by Empfield and Bakalar  

“Overcoming Teen Depression: A Guide for Parents” by Miriam Kaufman, M.D.

  American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: www.AACP.org