Prescription drugs and kids: What to know
MARIA: AS PARENTS CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IMPACTING OUR KIDS, THERE ARE SO MANY QUESTIONS THEY FACE, INCLUDING OUTER HELP AND WENT — HOW TO HELP AND WHEN PRESCRIPTION DRUGS MIGHT BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. SHAYNA: HERE TO OFFER SOME IMPORTANT INSIGHT IS DR. KHADIJAH BOOTH WATKINS, THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE CLAY CENTER FOR YOUNG HEALTHY MINDS AT MGH. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. A RECENT REPORT FROM EXPRESS SCRIPTS, A MAIL ORDER PHARMACY, FOUND PRESCRIPTIONS OF ANTIDEPRESSANTS FOR TEENAGERS ROSE 38% BETWEEN 2015 AND 2019. DOES THAT NUMBER SURPRISE YOU? THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. UNFORTUNATELY, THE NUMBER DOES NOT SURPRISE ME. WE HAVE SEEN AND INCREASE IN DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, SUICIDAL THINKING, AND LONELINESS. THESE NUMBERS STARTED TO RISE BEFORE THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC. WHILE MEDICATION IS NOT WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS, IT HAS MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF MANY KIDS. MARIA: THAT STUDY WAS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, AND LOOK WHAT THE PANDEMIC DID. YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE GOING UP OR HAVE GONE UP, UNFORTUNATELY. BUT WE KNOW THERE ARE NO EASY ANSWERS, BUT AS PARENTS TRY TO DETERMINE THE BEST WAY TO HELP DEAR TEENAGERS, WHAT SHOULD THEY BE CONSIDERING WHEN IT COMES TO HAVING THEM USE PRESCRIPTIONS? I AM GLAD YOU ASKED THIS QUESTION, BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH IN GENERAL, AND EDUCATION IS THE ONLY WAY WE WILL COMBAT THIS. THERE ARE A LOT OF ANGLES TO CONSIDER, BUT NO ONE TAKES PRESCRIBING MEDICATION TO KIDS LIGHTLY, PARENTS OR DOCTORS. IT REQUIRES A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR DOCTOR, AND TO THINK ABOUT THE SYMPTOMS YOUR KID IS EXPERIENCING. ARE THERE SAFETY CONCERNS? HOW HAVE THINGS — HOW LONG HAVE THINGS BEEN GOING ON? IS THERE IMPAIRMENT? CAN THEY NO LONGER FUNCTION, GO TO SCHOOL, OR BE AROUND FRIENDS? AND I THINK OF SUFFERING — SO MANY KIDS SUFFER IN SILENCE, SO THEY MAY BE SUFFERING INSIDE EVEN THOUGH ON THE OUTSIDE THEY LOOK LIKE THEY ARE HOLDING IT TOGETHER. THIS IS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER WITH THE PHYSICIAN IN TERMS OF THE ROLE MEDICATION MIGHT PLAY. SHAYNA: AND ONE OF THE CONCERNS RAISED BY SOME EXPERTS AS THIS MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CONTINUES IS THAT SOME OF THESE DRUGS ARE NOT INTENDED FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, THEY’RE MEANT FOR ADULTS. WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS SHOULD PARENTS BE ASKING AS THEY WORK WITH THEIR DOCTORS TO PROVIDE THE BEST APPROACH FOR THEIR KIDS? NOT INTENDED IS NOT THE WAY HI WOULD THINK ABOUT IT, BUT THERE ARE NOT MEDICATIONS — THERE ARE MEDICATIONS THAT ARE NOT APPROVED BY THE FDA FOR CHILDREN’S AND ADOLESCENTS. WE USE THEM SUCCESSFULLY IN AN OFF LABEL WAY, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY MEDICATIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN VARIOUS CATEGORIES FOR KIDS THAT CAN REALLY HELP YOUR KID THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED , IF IT IS APPROPRIATE. THINGS YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT, TREATING SYMPTOMS OF THIS MEDICATION, THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS, AND THE POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS, AND WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES TO MEDICATION, BECAUSE THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES. WE KNOW OUR KIDS ARE STRUGGLING AND SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE STRUGGLING WITH OUR LIFE-THREATENING. WE DO WANT TO THINK ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE, TALKING TO YOUR DOCTOR AND TRUSTING YOUR DOCTOR AND COLLABORATING TOGETHER. THAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR YOUR KIDS TO GO. MARIA: TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR — DR. BOOTH WATKINS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. SHAYNA
Prescription drugs and kids: What to know
Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins, the associate director of the Clay Center for Young…
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