The hospital says in order to treat a child holistically, mental health has to be one of the things they look at.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — When it comes to taking care of patients, the Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital wants to make sure they’re taking care of the whole child.
“We’ve strategically integrated licensed behavioral health providers. So, that’s psychologists and other licensed behavioral health providers into our primary care settings,” said Dr. Ashley Breazeale, lead behavioral health consultant at Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital.
Breazeale said that mental health is just as important as physical.
“We’re really trying to address, you know, it’s holistic care right? If we’re trying to address as much of the medical and behavioral problems and issues in the same setting as possible for families.”
And right now, Breazeale said, they’re seeing some alarming trends.
“We’re seeing children at younger ages meeting diagnostic criteria for anxiety and depression. You know, if you look at the CDC data from 2021, nearly 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17, so about 20%, 21%, had been diagnosed with a mental, emotional or behavioral health condition,” Breazeale said.
She said there are a lot of factors that go into poor mental health, but social media plays a key role.
“I think a big one that I see, and I’m really passionate about, is excessive screen time, social media and YouTube use. We really see that that’s one of, maybe not the only factors, but it really contributes to poorer mental health,” Breazeale said.
She said it’s important for parents to look out for any emotional or behavioral changes their children may have and to be a listening ear if they need it.
“Listening to their children’s feelings and just validating those emotions. Even when we don’t fully understand them. I think it’s even more critical when we don’t understand is that, ‘Hey, I understand you’re feeling this way and that’s okay.’” said Breazeale.
She said if your child is showing signs of causing immediate harm to themselves or others, take them to the Emergency Department at Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital, or call 988.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, but is not in immediate danger, you can always reach out to the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee to get connected with a licensed therapist.