New Video Series on Mental Health

Designed to provide real-time education to support you as you care for children and youth with mental health disorders. These quick yet in-depth videos aim to improve your knowledge and skills, both during the current national crisis and in the future.

 

Series Topics

Mental Health in LGBTQ+ Youth

Faculty: Jason Rafferty, MD, MPH, EdM

Today, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) youth are coming of age in the setting of increased LGBTQ+ rights and visibility, yet they remain vulnerable to higher rates of negative mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicide.

Partnering with Communities to Promote Positive Parenting in Immigrant Families

Faculty: Joyce R. Javier, MD, MPH, MS, FAAP

According to Seay et al (2014), “positive parenting is a continual relationship of a parent(s) and a child or children that includes caring, teaching, leading, communicating, and providing for the needs of a child consistently and unconditionally.” Evidence-based parenting interventions are programs that have a “strong track record in improving parent and child outcomes “ (Weisz and Kazdin, 2010).

School-Based Mental Health

Faculty: Kristie Ladegard, MD

The National Center for School Mental Health* defines school-based mental health as interventions that students receive to enhance social/emotional or behavioral adjustment and well-being. These services range from school-wide prevention efforts to individualized, intensive interventions including comprehensive mental health services provided directly on site in a school-based health clinic (SBHC). Increased scholastic performance, improved attendance, expansion in academic activities and fewer disruptions to the learning environment are some of the positive outcomes that occur with this medical-home model.

Vicarious Racism

Faculty: Nia Heard-Garris, MD, MSc, FAAP

Vicarious racism is defined as the secondhand exposure to the racial discrimination and/or prejudice directed at another individual. Exposure to vicarious racism is irrespective of the race of the indirect target. In order for an exposure to racism to be considered vicarious, the unintended victim must be cognizant of someone else experiencing racism.

Social Media and Adolescent Mental Health

Faculty: Elise M. Fallucco, MD, DFAACAP

Currently, nearly all US teens are active on at least one social media platform (eg, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, SnapChat). While social media has the potential to enhance social connection among youth, multiple studies have shown an association between social media use and adolescent depression and anxiety.

Helping Adolescents Feel In Control During Stressful Times

Faculty: Richard J. Chung, MD

A sense of control is critical during adolescence. Teens naturally seek to exert control over their lives as they move through social, cognitive, and emotional developmental stages. Experiencing efficacy in this regard is important, particularly during a time when so many parts of life may seem uncontrollable, and potentially fearful. In addition to supporting youth in exerting control in healthy ways, pediatricians can also help them develop skills in coping with the uncontrollable, particularly in times of crisis

Parenting and Boundary Setting

Faculty: Cynthia Holland-Hall, MD, MPH, FAAP

Coaching parents of older children and adolescents to set clear boundaries while still fostering autonomy and normal development.

Mental Health of Newcomer Children and Adolescents

Faculty: Lisa R. Fortuna, MD, MPH

Newcomer children, immigrants and refugees to the United States, are at risk of psychological stress and consequently may develop symptoms of anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress. Some children and families also experience traumatic separations during the process of migration or due to parental deportation. Many newcomer children and parents may have experienced discrimination at school or in the community. The role of the pediatrician includes helping to identify and collaborate in the provision of mental health and social services.

Supporting the Grieving Child and Family

Faculty: David J. Schonfeld, MD, FAAP

The vast majority of children experience the death of a close family member or friend. Bereavement can have a profound and long-term impact on children’s psychological adjustment, academic achievement, and personal development. This session will discuss basic skills for pediatric healthcare providers in how to talk with and support grieving children and families and outline some of the unique challenges posed by grief during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Healthy Adolescent Partner Relationships

Faculty: Richard J. Chung, MD

Relationships with peers, including dating and other forms of intimacy, are a common part of adolescence and have substantial impacts on social and emotional development. Healthy relationships can be an important influence on resilience and healthy development, whereas unhealthy relationships can pose critical risks. Pediatricians play an important role in helping young people develop the knowledge, skills, and behaviors to promote healthy adolescent partner relationships and set a foundation for positive and fulfilling relationships into adulthood.

Maladaptive Aggression

Faculty: Christopher Bellonci, MD, DFAACAP

Maladaptive Aggression is defined as an impulsive aggression that is usually unplanned, unprofitable and poorly controlled, or predatory aggression that can be planned, profitable and self-controlled aggressive behavior.

Deprescribing in Children

Faculty: Christopher Bellonci, MD, DFAACAP

Deprescribing is the systematic process of identifying and discontinuing drugs in instances in which existing or potential harms outweigh existing or potential benefits within the context of an individual patient’s care goals, current level of functioning, life expectancy, values and preferences.

Psychosocial Treatment

Faculty: Robin H. Gurwitch, PhD

The National Alliance on Mental Illness-New Hampshire defines psychosocial as “an individual’s psychological development in and interaction with their social environment.” Psychosocial treatment is a broad term that has been used to refer to therapy services, case management, psychoeducation, skill acquisition, and prevention services. Services may be delivered to an individual, family, or group.

Screening Tools

Faculty: Diane Bloomfield MD, FAAP

A screening tool is a standardized set of questions used to identify issues in a child that require further investigation.

Mental Health Promotion and Problem Prevention

Faculty: Mary Margaret Gleason, MD, FAAP

Mental health in infants and children is about how young children begin to organize their feelings and connect with other people. It includes their growing capacity to regulate and express their emotions and behavioral responses, to form secure relationships with others, and explore the environment in the context of their family, community, and cultural expectations.

ADHD

Faculty: Michelle M. Macias, MD, FAAP

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that manifests in childhood with two categories of core symptoms: hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention.  The symptoms affect cognitive, academic, behavioral, emotional, and social functioning.

Mental Health in Infants and Young Children

Faculty: Mary Margaret Gleason, MD, FAAP

Mental health in infants and children is about how young children begin to organize their feelings and connect with other people. It includes their growing capacity to regulate and express their emotions and behavioral responses, to form secure relationships with others, and explore the environment in the context of their family, community, and cultural expectations.

Antidepressants Side Effects

Faculty: Jeffrey R. Strawn, MD, FAACP

Antidepressants are medications commonly used to treat depressive and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. These medications are generally divided into selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

Antidepressants

Faculty: Jeffrey R. Strawn, MD, FAACP

Antidepressants are medications commonly used to treat depressive and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. These medications are generally divided into selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

Suicide

Faculty: Joan R. Asarnow, Ph.D

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Based on the most recent statistics for the United States (U.S.), suicide is the second leading cause of death for children, adolescents, and young adults, ages 10-24 years.

Adolescent Depression

Faculty: Elise Fallucco, MD

Adolescent depression is a common mental health problem characterized by irritable or sad mood that causes significant problems at home, school, and in relationships.

Trauma Informed Care

Faculty: Heather Forkey, MD

Trauma-informed care (TIC) is defined by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network as medical care in which all parties involved assess, recognize, and respond to the effects of traumatic experiences on children, caregivers, and healthcare provid¬ers.

Anxiety

Faculty: John T. Walkup, MD

Anxiety is a normal human emotion, triggered by expected challenges (taking a test) and the reaction is proportional. Normal anxiety can be severe and chronic if the life challenge is severe and chronic.

Contacts

For COVID related questions, please email covid-19@aap.org.
For Mental Health related questions, please email mentalhealth@aap.org.
Brought to you by AAP Education. For more educational content visit www.pedialink.org.

Special Acknowledgment

The AAP gratefully acknowledges support for the Pediatric Mental Health Minute in the form of an educational grant from SOBI.