May is Mental Health Awareness Month— a vital time focusing on reducing stigma around the rising health concerns, specifically in children and teens.
KIRO 7 News spoke with Dr. Nicole Saint Clair, Executive Medical Director of Regence BlueShield, about how their mental health needs can differ from those of adults.
“You know, while there are a lot of things that are stressful and challenges to mental health for all of us, I think it’s particularly difficult for teens, children, and adolescents,” Dr. Saint Clair said.
Young people are spending increasing amounts of time on screens and social media, which Dr. Saint Clair states has led to a new form of isolation. Children can feel connected online but lack in-person interaction.
“We know that screen time overall translates to worse mental health,” Dr. Saint Clair shared. She also pointed out that children may not readily reveal their mental health struggles, requiring adults to actively engage them in conversation.
“Sometimes we might have to talk to them and pull that out of them,” she said.
The doctor also stressed that in recent years, there have been reports of higher rates of ADHD and other behavioral health disorder diagnoses in children.
Federal data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, collected in 2021, estimates that nearly 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17 have been diagnosed with a mental health concern.
In our region, Seattle Children’s Hospital operates a Behavioral Health Crisis Care Clinic and Psychiatric Urgent Care Clinic to help children with mental health stress. These facilities and others like them offer families an alternative to the emergency room for children experiencing a mental health crisis.
Screens, while potentially harmful to mental health, can also provide solutions through telehealth and video appointment services. Dr. Saint Clair highlighted the benefits of virtual care for parents.
“I think being able to get virtual care as a parent is so helpful because the schedule is tight and there’s not a lot of openings during the day,” she said.
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