Part 2: Mental Health in Children and Adolescents

It’s Mental Health Awareness month! This is part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Tiya Johnson about mental health with a specific focus on Children and Adolescents. We’ll continue our conversation about what parents can do to ensure their kids develop and keep stable mental health, how we can destigmatize mental illness, and some fun and random questions. 

Tiya Johnson, M.D. is a native of Louisville, Kentucky where she completed her undergraduate and medical school education at the University of Louisville. She is currently board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry and forensic psychiatry. For the past two years, she worked as a private practice outpatient psychiatrist where she treated children, adolescents, and young adults with various mental illnesses.

[00:01 – 07:46] How Adolescents Are Diagnosed with Depression  

• A quick recap of our last episode. Go back and listen to part 1 if you haven’t heard it yet
•  Screening Adolescents for Depression
  • PHQ-A. See download link below
• Next steps if your child scores high on the PHQ-A
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5)
• Symptoms of depression for diagnosis 
  • Depressed mood; feeling of sadness, emptiness or hopelessness  
  • Diminished interest or pleasure in all or most activities 
  • Significant weight loss or weight gain  
  • Sleeping too much or too little 
  • Psychomotor agitation 
  • Fatigue 
  • Feelings of worthlessness or excessive/inappropriate guilt 
  • Diminished ability to think, concentrate or make decisions 
  • Recurrent thoughts of death  
• Certain factors must also be ruled out or considered when making a proper diagnosis 

[07:47 – 11:45] Destigmatizing Mental Health 

• Why we need to stop separating behavioral, mental, and physical health
• It’s all health; It all happens in our body 
• Regarding mental illness as we would about any illness in the body 

[11:46 – 27:43] Dr. Randy’s Medical Med-Bag of Questions  

• To spank or not to spank? Dr. Tiya Johnson’s opinions on physical discipline 
• How do you help children deal with the loss of a loved one?
• Preventative measures that parents can take to ensure their kids develop and keep stable mental health 
• Dr. Johnson’s message for parents regarding mental health 

 

[27:44 – 33:54] Randy’s Random Questions

• Can you explain the Kentucky Derby? 
• What do you do to keep yourself mentally sane?  
• What is a delta? 

[33:55 – 36:46] Closing Segment

• Finals words 

Tweetable Quotes:

“We have to stop separating mental health from physical health; It’s all health. The whole entire body, the whole entire person, all of it is health.” - Tiya Johnson, M.D 

“Don’t wait until it’s too late to get treatment and have realistic expectations for treatment.” - Tiya Johnson, M.D 

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Resources and Links Mentioned:

• Depression in Children and Adolescents: Evaluation and Treatment
• Download Patient Health Questionnaire modified for Adolescents (PHQ-A)
• DSM-5 - American Psychiatric Association

To know more, you can connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Also, visit my website https://hinesentertainment.com/ or email me at hinesentertainmentgrp@gmail.com 

 

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