Host: It seems that mental illness seems to be quite high in young adolescent girls today and later maybe adolescent boys. Why is this and what should we do about it?
Dr. Warren Seigel: I want to say that mental illness is at it's alp, at it's peak, but certainly we know that adolescent go through the adolescent years, depression becomes real issue. For both boys and girls, we are recognizing that depression has a lot to do with family characteristics based on genetics. If there is a mental illness in the family, adolescent may develop an emotional disorder earlier on. We also know that we are living in a very stressful society and we often think that teenagers are immune for those stresses. We as adults know that we deal with stress everyday, but adolescent are often ill-equipped to deal with some distresses that go on in their life.
We know that both boys and girls, when you screen them for depression, many of them will show early signs of depression and some even serious depression. And again, the parent is the one, who usually will identify an issue going on in the adolescent's life. The pediatrician I think is paramount to helping adolescent and their parents deal with some of these emotional issues and appropriate referral sources for treatment.
Host: Is that really a wise idea to see a doctor for one session, walk out with the bill and the thing is cured, is that correct?
Dr. Warren Seigel: Absolutely, I am not an advocate of somebody substituting a drug to cure their emotional disorders, whether it be depression or mental illness. I think the important thing for every parent to know and every adolescent to know is the importance of primary healthcare. The pediatrician develops the relationship with that young child and that pediatrician maybe the best person to watch that adolescent grow and help them grow to help the adults.
Host: As an adolescent expert, if you are concerned but you get little withdrawn and little depressive, little concerned, maybe this kid could do something, hurt himself called suicide. What we should be looking for as a warning signs and if you wish some concern, how would you approach that?
Dr. Warren Seigel: There are many, many warning signs for adolescent depression and suicide. We know that suicide is the number three leading cause of death in United States that we have to deal with and take very, very seriously as adult and primary healthcare providers. Some of the warning signs are sudden withdrawal. Adolescent who start eating more or eating less, sleeping more or sleeping less, changing and changes in family structure can lead to significant depression. Increasing stress so there is like moving or the loss of parents or a significant person in that adolescent's life. Some of the other warning signs that we have to worry about with teenagers is the fact that they are more moody than usual.
Now when I say that, most parents say, my teenager is always moody, that's the way he has always been. I am not talking about that adolescent, I am talking about an acute change, something that's gone on that is said to the parent, something is wrong with my adolescent, something is not right. Once again my answer is the pediatrician is the best place to start.
Host: You have a hospital in Brooklyn and I believe that if a kid was potentially suicidal, it will be a bad certificate too?
Dr. Warren Seigel: For those patients that I assess at being at high risk suicide, the first thing that I will do, is do a full mental status exam that is assess that adolescent's risk. For that adolescent who I determine is acutely suicidal. We will admit them to the hospital and the purpose of that is to keep them safe until appropriate follow-up plans have been implemented. Sometimes that's outpatient psychotherapy with a psychiatrist, sometimes it's with the psychologist, sometimes it's with the psychotherapist or sometimes it's in hospital, psychiatric hospitalization. Short term to make sure that that adolescent is as safe as possible and begin the treatment strategy.
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