This episode features Dr. Shayla Sullivant, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. Here, she discusses how the pandemic has affected children’s mental health, the importance of addressing mental health concerns in youth as early as possible, and more.
Summary
Dr. Shayla Sullivant discusses pandemic's impact on children's mental health
Dr. Shayla Sullivant, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Children's Mercy in Kansas City, joins the conversation on how the pandemic has affected children's mental health. She highlights the importance of addressing mental health concerns in youth as early as possible and mentions the increase in demand for mental health services during the pandemic.
Racial disparities in suicide rates
Dr. Sullivant talks about the racial disparities in suicide rates and initiatives to increase access to mental healthcare for communities that may not have traditionally sought out help from the medical community. She also emphasizes the importance of validating and measuring treatments to ensure they are beneficial for different populations.
Decreasing stigma and empowering parents
Dr. Sullivant expresses her excitement for the decreasing stigma around seeking mental health treatment and the increasing attention being paid to it. She also mentions that parents are feeling more empowered to make changes in their homes to help protect their children from suicide. Means restriction, such as safe storage of firearms and medications, is one of the most studied interventions for suicide prevention.
Research in suicide prevention
Lastly, Dr. Sullivant discusses her research in suicide prevention, specifically the importance of safe storage of firearms and medications at home. She notes that Sri Lanka saw a 50% drop in their suicide rate when safe storage measures were implemented.
Note: This is an AI generated transcript, not edited by a staff writer and is solely intended for educational purposes. If you have any questions/concerns, reach out to podcasts@beckershealthcare.com
This episode aired on 12/06/2022 and can be listened here.
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