Depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions are becoming a growing epidemic among our youth. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 3.7 million adolescents, ages 12 to 17, are affected by mental health conditions. MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach is committed to protecting and advocating for youth mental health.
To continue to bring awareness and address pediatric mental health, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital organized its 4th annual Mental Health Symposium that discussed ways for adults to become advocates and protect children’s mental health in the community.
The panel featured a lineup of various community mental health experts, including our very own Ioana Pal, Psy.D, Stramski Children’s Developmental Center, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital and Christina N. Zavalza, Psy.D, pediatric psychologist, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital. The panelists shared their expertise and perspective and shared their personal experience about advocating for children’s struggles with mental health in their field.
Topics discussed amongst the experts included:
- The mind-body connection
- Physical symptoms of anxiety and coping skills
- Adventure therapy
- Gender norms
- Asian American and Pacific Islander Cultural differences
“The mind-body connection is powerful; physical health and mental health are closely in connection and impact one another, and that’s why health care providers must work collaboratively to treat children,” says Christina Zavalza, Psy.D, pediatric psychologist, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital. “Chronic stress has negative effects on a child’s body, and stress can come from multiple areas in a child’s life. These physical symptoms of stress may present in children through sleep disturbances, headaches, stomachaches, decreased appetite, or changes in eating patterns.”
Some of the stressors discussed included peer pressure, political and social unrest, violence in the community, family discord, change (good or bad), and parental separation or divorce.
From their collaborative discussion, the guests were able to understand ways that stress and mental health conditions affect their children and the youths they interact with, both physically and mentally. Attendees were also taught how to look for distress signals among children. In addition, attendees participated in a Q&A session that led to a thought-provoking discussion, where attendees gained insights and received advice from the experts and mental health advocates.
This open dialogue fostered a sense of community where concerned parents, teachers, employees, and others could receive the answers to the questions they had to help the youth and destigmatize the conversation surrounding mental health.
The speakers also encouraged the guests to:
- Converse with the children or youth in their lives
- Be curious about social, emotional, behavioral, and physical changes and address these changes.
- Provide emotional support to youth
- Build coping skills in youth
- Focus on and promote physical health such as a proper sleep schedule, exercise, and a healthy diet
“Mental health and physical health are deeply connected and play a crucial role in the well-being of children and teens whether healthy or living with chronic conditions,” says Ioana Pal, Psy.D, pediatric psychologist, Stramski Children’s Developmental Center, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital. “As adults, we need to know the signs and be there with love and support when needed.”
Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital continues to provide a safe space where mental health is prioritized. It will always be an advocate and bring awareness through community support and advocacy events such as this one. It is time to break down the barriers and foster a culture of acceptance when it comes to dealing with mental health conditions.
Watch the 4th annual Mental Health Symposium.
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