Ask any child or anyone who loves one: Being a kid today is hard. Whether it’s bullying, violence, social media or the pressure of getting top grades, it’s clear that a variety of factors are taking a toll. The start of a new school year can be particularly stressful for children, which is why checking on a child’s physical and mental well-being should be at the top of every parent’s back-to-school to-do list.
According to research by the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in every 5 kids sitting in a classroom today has or will have a mental or behavioral health condition at some point during his or her life. It may be aggressive behavior, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, an eating disorder, depression, autism spectrum disorder or one of a number of other problems. And finding a behavioral health specialist can be a daunting and lengthy process — compounded by the fact that 77 percent of U.S. counties have reported a severe deficiency of psychiatrists.
[Read: What to Do If Your Child Expresses Suicidal Thoughts.]
As a result, children’s hospitals across the nation have seen a sharp increase in the number of patients with behavioral health concerns. At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where I serve as President and CEO, the number of children arriving in our emergency department with behavioral or psychological problems has tripled over the last year. And during September’s National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we’re reminded that the statistics are even more troubling when it comes to girls, as highlighted in a May 2018 study published in Pediatrics — the number of school-age children and adolescents hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or attempts more than doubled since 2008, and nearly two-thirds were girls.
The message is clear: It’s time to treat behavioral health in the same way that physical health is treated.
That’s why CHOP is taking a revolutionary approach to behavioral health care; we want to reach children before they ever get to the point of needing to visit the emergency department. Our experts believe that kids should be able to access all of their health care services in one place. By bringing behavioral and mental health care services to primary care offices, we are creating a new model of care that takes a holistic, integrated approach and treats the whole mind and body.
In our Healthy Minds, Healthy Kids program, pediatricians who hear about or see a behavioral health issue in a patient can connect the family to a behavioral health specialist who serves the same practice location. Often, the behavioral health specialist can meet briefly with the family right then. Future appointments happen in the primary care office, which is convenient for families and reduces stigma. Doctors in our CHOP Care Network practices who participate in HMHK have reported numerous success stories — from addressing cases of extreme anxiety and mood disorders to helping teens suffering from depression.
[See: 10 of the Biggest Health Threats Facing Your Kids This School Year.]
Early statistics of HMHK show families were able to see a behavioral health specialist much more quickly, and the shorter gap between referral and first appointment has led to far fewer no-shows when compared to referrals to providers elsewhere in the community.
Another key component of our model is TiPS, or Telephonic Psychiatric Consultation Service Program, for those times when a primary care physician needs to consult with a psychiatrist right away or can wait to get a call back within 30 minutes about a patient concern. Right now, TiPS is available to physicians who treat Medicaid-insured patients in the five-county Philadelphia region — a total of 400,000 children.
For those children who have a medical problem that requires hospitalization and a behavioral issue that interferes with their care, we recently opened a Medical Behavioral Unit — the nation’s first dedicated inpatient unit of its kind. We’ve also integrated more than 60 behavioral health specialists into medical services throughout our hospital in areas such as the Cancer Center, Gastroenterology and Pulmonology to help kids learn to cope with their illnesses.
[See: 10 Things Pediatricians Advise That Parents Ignore — and Really Shouldn’t.]
These are just a few ways we are helping to get children the behavioral health care they need quickly — and early. Our revolutionary model of care can be replicated in communities and health care networks across the country.
I believe that children’s mental health is just as important as their physical health. All too often, the headlines read that our children are in crisis, so we owe it to them to make this issue among the highest of our national priorities. By working together, policymakers, health care providers, insurers, philanthropists and others are well positioned to ensure full access to the help, and the hope, that children need.
More from U.S. News
How to Find the Best Mental Health Professional for You
11 Simple, Proven Ways to Optimize Your Mental Health
9 Reasons Getting Away for the Weekend Is Good for Your Mental Health
Removing the Barriers to Pediatric Behavioral Health Care originally appeared on usnews.com
