Today, youth mental health is widely considered to be worsening in many ways. The increase in depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation is quite troubling. Even more troubling is that many children and adolescents cannot easily access the help they need.
This is partially due to stigma, but it’s also due to a lack of access, especially in underserved communities. Without access, children can easily feel hopeless and resign themselves to thinking they will always have these struggles. However, they aren’t hopeless, as there are many professions centered around helping children and adolescents with mental health issues.
Pediatric psychological and psychiatric care is naturally different from adult psychological care. Follow along as we highlight the care professions helping close gaps in youth mental health access.
Child/Adolescent Psychologist
Child and adolescent psychologists work on the frontline of youth mental health. As psychologists, they diagnose and treat children and adolescents for mental and behavioral issues. This typically involves therapy, but many child psychologists also implement coping and grounding exercises.
Millions of children and adolescents experience anxiety and depression, which is still surrounded by stigma. However, child and adolescent psychologists are more available than ever. This has helped close some gaps and improved access for youths who need help.
A child or adolescent’s diagnosis can also help youths get further help. For example, they may recommend somebody to a psychiatrist if they believe medication would help them. In that way, psychologists can largely improve a struggling youth’s life, and early intervention is ideal.
Child Therapist
At first glance, there may not seem to be much difference between a child psychologist and a therapist. In many ways, that’s true, as they both treat children and adolescents through therapy and exercises rather than medication. Child psychologists hold doctoral degrees in psychology, whereas child therapists must hold a master’s degree in counseling or social work, among other fields.
That doesn’t mean that one is more qualified than the other, but it affects what they’re allowed to do. For example, child therapists cannot test for and diagnose children with psychological and neurological conditions like psychologists can. However, they can counsel children and help them navigate complex issues. This is largely why someone may want to become a therapist.
The main way that child therapists close gaps in youth mental health access is that they are widely available. Some smaller towns may not have many psychologists, but they are likely to have several experienced therapists. Therapists are also often more affordable than psychologists, which improves access.
School Social Worker
Sadly, many children and adolescents don’t have easy access to mental health support. This is partly due to a lack of access and partly due to the stigma surrounding mental health. For example, many youths are nervous about telling their parents they want to seek mental health support.
School social workers help lighten such stigmas and alleviate some of the nervousness surrounding mental health support. Naturally, they work in schools and help youths overcome mental health issues and behavioral problems, among other things.
This high-demand social work role is invaluable today when youths are up against more obstacles than ever. That’s especially true in the age of social media and cyberbullying. Offering mental health support in school gives youths the chance to seek help more easily.
Pediatric Primary Care Providers
While many children may not ask their parents to take them to therapists, they are at least likely to attend yearly medical check-ups. Pediatric primary care providers may not be counselors, but they are trained to screen for many common mental health conditions. Youths who may not understand what they’re dealing with can benefit from visiting someone who knows what to look for.
A primary care provider’s intervention can largely improve a pediatric patient’s life in many ways. For example, they may exhibit signs of major depressive disorder, which could inspire the PCP to refer them to a psychiatrist. This intervention ensures that the patient has the chance to get evaluated by someone who specializes in mental health.
Pediatric PCPs are also mandated reporters, so they must intervene if they suspect abuse, neglect, or potential self-harm. They may not specialize in psychology or psychiatry, but they play vital roles in youth mental health access. Even just referring one young patient to a psychiatrist can greatly improve a person’s life.
Improving Youth Mental Health Access Can Improve and Save Lives
Mental health is just as important as physical health, whether you’re a child or an adult. While youth mental health is worse than it was 10 years ago, it doesn’t have to stay that way. The more that society reduces the stigma surrounding mental health, the less reluctant youths will be to pursue help.
More importantly, reducing the prohibitive costs of such help can ensure that more children and adolescents can get treatment. Whether it be telehealth mental health services or free in-school care, improving mental health treatment access is essential.
