Written by: The Meadows Adolescent Center By Wesley Gallagher Mental health issues among children and teens are on the rise, and the healthcare community is struggling to keep up. Research shows teens especially need help more than ever, but options for care have been less than ideal. While parents are advised to avoid the emergency rooms when dealing with mental health crises, taking them elsewhere has presented some new challenges. As pediatric mental health issues have risen in the United States over the past several years, the supply of child psychiatrists and therapists has not kept up with demand. As pediatric mental health issues have risen in the United States over the past several years, the supply of child psychiatrists and therapists has not kept up with demand. This has put pediatricians, often with little training in child psychiatry, squarely on the frontlines of the mental health crisis among our nation’s youth. Why Pediatricians Are Increasingly Becoming Mental Healthcare Providers According to the 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, nearly 20% of children ages 3-17 in the US have a mental, emotional, behavioral, or developmental disorder. Despite this concerning statistic, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry cites a severe shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists. Even when specialists are available, they are often cost-prohibitive; many specialists are out-of-network for health insurance, particularly Medicare and Medicaid. It can take a lot of time and effort on behalf of parents and caregivers to find the right provider, and not everyone is willing or able to beat down doors to get an appointment. In fact, a recent survey by the Bowman Family Foundation found that 69% of adolescents seeking mental health or substance abuse treatment between 2019 and 2022 didn’t get necessary care in at least one instance. This confluence of complications often leaves pediatricians to their own devices in both diagnosing and treating their patients’ mental health struggles. The Limits and Challenges of Pediatricians Providing Mental Healthcare While pediatricians can and should be the first line of care for all children’s health, including mental health, they are not equipped to be the sole providers of child psychiatry, nor should they be. The Bowman Foundation survey found that 98% of adolescents whose physicians provided mental health services felt the need for additional help from a specialist. There are a few key reasons pediatricians are ill-equipped to be the sole mental health caregivers for their patients. The first is the limited training they receive in mental health. Pediatricians are necessarily generalists, not specialists, so the breadth of their training often prevents the depth of knowledge necessary to adequately treat mental illness. The second is the limited time they have with patients. Pediatricians often only have 15 minutes with a patient. While this might be enough for a screening, it doesn’t allow for the same thoroughness as an hour-long psychiatric visit. Giving Pediatricians and Children the Support They Need While there is no quick fix for the myriad of issues caused by the youth mental health crisis, there are steps that can be taken to make the most of the situation. While there is no quick fix for the myriad of issues caused by the youth mental health crisis, there are steps that can be taken to make the most of the situation. One recommendation from the Bowman Foundation is the Collaborative Care model developed at the University of Washington. This integrative care model focuses on defined patient populations in need of specialized care, tracking their treatment progress in an online registry. This leads to significantly better clinical outcomes, greater patient and provider satisfaction, improved functioning, and reduced costs. The American Academy of Pediatrics is addressing the crisis with their Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program, a mental and behavioral health resource for pediatricians that connects them with pediatric mental health teams who provide teleconsultation, training, technical assistance, and care coordination support services. The program aims to equip pediatricians to adequately diagnose, treat, and refer patients so that children’s mental health needs are met. The Meadows Adolescent Center is Committed to Teen Mental Health While the ideal long-term solution to our nation’s youth mental health crisis would be to focus more on prevention versus treatment, until the needs decrease, upping the number of providers and treatment centers available to our youth is crucial. This is where Meadows Behavioral Healthcare comes in. The Meadows Adolescent Center opened in 2023 to provide holistic, evidence-based residential treatment for boys ages 13-17. We have adapted our Meadows Model of treatment to meet their unique needs, incorporating elements of experiential-based modalities and longer-term inpatient programs. During our 90-day stay, we address all areas of trauma, mental health, addiction, and familial or relational issues. If your teen comes to our center, a detailed assessment will lead to a personalized treatment plan for your child that ensures safety, encourages accountability, and gives them ownership over their recovery. They will benefit from not only time-tested therapy techniques but also a range of complementary experiential activities such as hiking, basketball, and equine therapy. Reach out to our admissions team today to find out how we can help.
