Page 9 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_January-2018

The Importance of Addressing Feature
Mental Health: ATeen’s Perspective
Save the Date!

By Rachel Musa, Member of the Teen Advisory Board, Teen Health Connection

Teenagers constantly are being pulled from all different directions. We have North Carolina Society
to finish English essays, study for calculus tests, go to sports practices and live up of Gastroenterology
to expectations set by our parents, teachers and peers. As a member of the Teen 2018 Annual Conference

Advisory Board at Teen Health Connection, I have learned how these Feb. 17-18, 2018 n Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst, N.C.
pressures can lead to negative choices and often result in alcohol and
substance abuse, peer stress and low self-confidence. Teen Advisory Promoting High Standards of Care for North Carolina Patients
Board has given me the skills to manage these stressors, as well
as the opportunity to form friendships with teens who care about Target Audience
leading a healthy lifestyle and encourage other teens to do the same.
Teen Health Connection has opened my eyes to the impact teens can have on their Physicians in gastroenterology and hepatology, physician assistants, nurse
community when they voice their opinions. anesthetists and nurses working specifically in gastroenterology.
My experiences with Teen Health Connection sparked my particular interest
in the problem of undiagnosed mental health problems in teens. Specifically, Keynote Speakers
I focused my high school graduation project on incorporating mental health
evaluations in routine physical examinations to help uncover mental health JohnE.Pandolfino,MD n G.S.Raju,MD
disorders that teens often do not recognize in themselves and avoid discussing. VijayH.Shah,MD n MichaelB.Wallace,MD
Thirty-seven percent of teens meet the criteria for a mental disorder at some
point in their adolescence, but 80 percent of these teens do not receive mental More Information
health services or evaluations. This large disparity shows that many teens are
silently suffering with an undiagnosed mental health problem. The most common For information on NCSG membership and to register, visit www.ncgisociety.org
mental health disorders for teens are depression, anxiety and adjustment issues or contact Sandi Buchanan, executive director, at sbuchanan@meckmed.org.
with family, school and social relationships. Teens with mental health problems
are more likely than their peers to engage in risky behaviors, such as substance Please visit www.ncgisociety.org for more information.
and alcohol abuse. Parents think they would recognize the signs of a mental health
problem, but family members often fail to pick up the signs of teenage depression.
In fact, parents are unaware of 90 percent of suicide attempts by teenagers, and the
majority of teens who commit suicide do not give any warning to their parents.
Routine mental health screening is an effective method for monitoring an
adolescent’s mental health. The United States Preventative Task Force endorses
mental health evaluations for those ages 12-18. Early identification is important
because half of adult mental disorders begin developing by age 14. Screening
in primary care offices at annual physicals is efficient, as short screening
questionnaires can be given in the waiting room. General practitioners see
adolescents on average 3.3 times a year and have developed trusting relationships
with patients and their families. This confidential relationship helps adolescents
feel comfortable completing the screening questionnaire.
The screening process is a two-step program in which teens fill out a
questionnaire and are interviewed by the doctor to determine if additional
treatment is needed. The PSC-Y (Pediatric Symptom Checklist-Youth) is a
common screening questionnaire that has proven accurate with 94-percent
sensitivity and 88-percent accuracy. The questionnaires capture teen’s candid
emotions that they are reluctant to discuss. My review of three mental health
screening programs showed that, on average, 22 percent of teens will screen
positive for a mental health disorder and 12 percent will then be referred for
mental health treatment.
The adolescent years are a time of tremendous physical and social growth.
Mental health screenings, alongside routine physical examinations, effectively
monitor an adolescent’s mental well-being and promote the healthy development
of all teenagers.

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