By Penny Sitler, Newark Advocate, March 1, 2020
There’s much conversation about mental health in children and youth these days. At Welsh Hills School, local pediatrician Dr. William Knobelach recently spoke about depression and anxiety in school aged children to a standing room only crowd at a parent education event.
The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACES), which looks at the impact of childhood trauma on health and well-being later in life, frequently comes up in talks about mental health and addiction. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s new Student Wellness and Success plan allocates funds statewide to school districts to provide services that students need to thrive, both in and out of school.
Dr. Knobelach shared we are experiencing a mental health crisis, as the rates of occurrence are increasing while the number of providers of mental health services are decreasing. General medical practitioners and pediatricians often assume management of mental health issues in patients. People typically feel comfortable with their doctors so it’s a common path to explore mental health concerns and begin treatment. The earlier mental health issues are addressed, the better the outcomes will be. On average, people wait ten years from onset of symptoms to diagnosis of mental health disorders. At Mental Health America we encourage beginning the conversation with a health practitioner as early as possible (#B4Stage4).
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