Many of us have experienced trauma over the last few years as we’ve been forced to deal with the fallout from the pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, social unrest, and a dire economic outlook. Unfortunately, the youngest among us have not been immune to the trauma either.

Parents, researchers, pediatricians, and front-line mental health providers are all saying the same thing: there is an ongoing mental health crisis among youth in America. Taking action to mitigate these challenges is essential. However, it can be hard to know where to start without the appropriate data.

One common thread that comes up often in conversations among pediatric providers and their staff is that the last several years have been exhausting. Pediatricians in cities, suburbs, and rural areas alike are burned out and they’re facing what seems like an insurmountable combination of increased expectations and decreased practice resources.

Recent legislation allows children to take mental health days off from public school, but not all states are on board. See where your state stands, and how you can advocate to include mental health selfcare as a legitimate reason for missed school days.

Many young children and teens struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, organizations like Duck Cup Memorial Fund are stepping into the fray to bring more awareness to this issue. Sara Jutz, the Executive Director of Duck Cup Memorial Fund, recently spoke on the PediaTricks podcast to share more information about how their organization is working to meet this moment, and make mental health and suicide prevention a much easier subject to speak about openly. 

Rich Szabo, MD, joined the PediaTricks Podcast to discuss "Pediatric Mental Health - Seeing the Whole Child” to address the ongoing mental health crisis, what may be exacerbating these issues for our kids, and how OP’s tools can help.

It’s no surprise that pediatric mental health issues have skyrocketed to unrivaled levels as children have been forced to navigate the challenges that have come with the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Desperate for ways to address this growing concern, healthcare professionals across the United States are coming together to share ideas about programs, policies, and best practices that will positively impact the mental health of youth and adolescents in the US.