Are there support groups for depression and anxiety

Younger children have not been spared from this crisismore than 20 of 5-12-year-olds report worsened mental health since the start of the pandemic. As a pediatrician, a large part of the role I play in mental health prevention and care is giving our youngest patientsand their caregiversthe language and tools needed to express their feelings and emotions.

In my pediatric practice, many of the children and adolescents I care for are also contending with significant social needs including poverty, food and housing insecurity, exposure to violence, and racism. These experiences are often traumatic and contribute to high rates of mental and physical health disorders as well as to disparities in needed care.

Its important to remember that diagnosed conditions do not tell the whole story about mental distress in children. This is because children can also experience some symptoms without meeting criteria for a condition, or they can meet criteria for diagnosis but remain undiagnosed.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry jointly declared the soaring rates of child mental health conditions a national emergency and have identified pediatric providers as critical gateways for expanded access to mental health screening and care.

My team and I have implemented universal screening for both mental health conditions and the social determinants of mental and physical health that place children at high risk for mental illness. We see universal screening for these risks as a critical step to early identification and ensuring access to and engagement in care and support.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic experiences in childhood that have a profound impact on physical and mental health. Learn more about ACEs, how they can be prevented, and their impacts on mental and physical health.

We all have a role to play in ensuring that all children and adolescents have positive experiences. There is more we can do to foster these experiences, so all children reach their full potential and live healthy lives.

As pediatric providers dedicated to providing high-quality care for children and adolescents, many of us have experienced an unprecedented surge in mental health needs among our patients. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacted an enormous toll on childrens mental health: exacerbating social isolation, depression, anxiety, and trauma, and further straining our already fragile mental health care system.