Child Study Center Grand Rounds 04.08.2021
June 08, 2021COVID-19 One Year Later: How are our kids?
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- 00:00Let's go ahead and get started.
- 00:02I'm very grateful for everyone
- 00:04for joining us for today's
- 00:06webinar COVID-19 one year later.
- 00:08And how are our children doing?
- 00:11I'm doctor Linda Mays. I'm perfect.
- 00:12I'm a professor in the Child Study Center
- 00:15and the director of the Child Study Center.
- 00:18And this afternoon you'll have the
- 00:20opportunity to hear four of our
- 00:22colleagues who will share their
- 00:24first hand experiences actually and
- 00:26caring for children that are in this
- 00:29just remarkably unprecedented time.
- 00:30The time historians will be
- 00:32writing about for for many,
- 00:34many decades to come.
- 00:35We want to talk with you about
- 00:37our first-hand experiences and
- 00:39also to give some practical advice
- 00:41about what we've been seeing in
- 00:44our anticipating looking forward.
- 00:46One of the things that drives us
- 00:48in the CHILD Study Center is that
- 00:51one in five children need mental
- 00:53health care at any one point in time
- 00:55and that children through age 18.
- 00:58Anne, but 80% of those children.
- 01:01Do not have access to care.
- 01:04And those numbers have gone up
- 01:06with this pandemic,
- 01:07but even before the crisis we
- 01:10were seeing actually a dramatic
- 01:11spike and depression and anxiety.
- 01:14And now with the pandemic still
- 01:16that we're still alapana us,
- 01:18we expect the numbers to continue to
- 01:21climb as we as we anticipate this surge.
- 01:24So for example,
- 01:25in our services for youth in the
- 01:28Child Study Center 6 to 66 to 18,
- 01:31we've seen a 65% increase in referrals.
- 01:35So navigating as we all know,
- 01:37as we've all experienced navigating
- 01:39life during this pandemic with
- 01:41all its uncertainties,
- 01:42has been a tremendous challenge.
- 01:45But we also,
- 01:46and we've seen unprecedented
- 01:47changes in our daily lives in
- 01:50children's lives from school.
- 01:51Our ability to gather together
- 01:53and communities and family
- 01:54and families being together.
- 01:58I'm especially grateful all of us are
- 02:01very fortunate actually to be at the
- 02:03CHILD Study Center where we can be
- 02:05together as a community to explore these
- 02:07issues of the impact of the pandemic.
- 02:09But we can also help children and families.
- 02:13We've been providing behavioral
- 02:14health services since 1911,
- 02:16when the top child Study Center was founded.
- 02:20And we're especially proud of our
- 02:22embedding in the community of our trying,
- 02:25translating research into clinical care,
- 02:27and for our being there on when
- 02:30children and families need us.
- 02:32And at this point,
- 02:34with this pandemic and its
- 02:36dramatic impact on all of us,
- 02:38we are once again ready to help
- 02:40to bring our research to bring
- 02:42new therapies and treatments,
- 02:44and also to bring educational efforts
- 02:47as we help teachers as well as families
- 02:50begin to adapt to what will be our
- 02:53changed world in our new way of being.
- 02:58So today we'll have a chance over
- 03:00this webinar to hear from four
- 03:02of our colleagues for experts.
- 03:03Who will talk about their work with
- 03:06children and families in various
- 03:07settings through the Child Study Center?
- 03:09And then we'll have an opportunity
- 03:12for you to ask questions.
- 03:14We've already gotten actually a number
- 03:16of great questions that many of you have
- 03:19submitted before the session I'm in
- 03:21will include those in our discussion,
- 03:23but will also take questions later.
- 03:26But for now,
- 03:27if you hold off submitting your
- 03:29questions until I announced the
- 03:31opening of our live Q&A session,
- 03:33an will ask each of our panelists to
- 03:36present some prepared remarks that
- 03:39even may answer some of your questions.
- 03:42So let me move to our panelists and
- 03:44just again thank all of you for
- 03:47taking time out of your day to join
- 03:49us and to join us in our four faculty
- 03:51members from the CHILD Study Center.
- 03:53Let me just tell you quickly
- 03:55and briefly who they are,
- 03:57so you'll first be hearing from Nancy Close,
- 03:59who is an assistant professor.
- 04:01An is the clinical director of the
- 04:03Moms Partnership and the old parent
- 04:05and Family Development Program
- 04:07at the Child Study Center.
- 04:08Then you'll hear from Dorothy's to
- 04:10be who is the associate professor
- 04:13and medical director for the Yale
- 04:15Hub Access Mental Health Service.
- 04:18Next will be Pam Hoffman,
- 04:20an assistant professor of clinical
- 04:22child psychiatry,
- 04:23and a lecture in Biostatistics and
- 04:25deeply immersed in RED services
- 04:27or emergency room services.
- 04:30And then finally Jan Ponson,
- 04:31who is the medical director for
- 04:34our Children's Day Hospital in home
- 04:36intensive child mental essence,
- 04:38psychiatric services and New York
- 04:40Street family clinic.
- 04:41Each of these panelists there are for
- 04:44my 4 colleagues have a presentation to share,
- 04:47and so may I turn Nancy to get us started.
- 04:53Thank you, Linda and welcome everybody.
- 04:55It's really nice to be here with you
- 04:58and I'm going to share my screen.
- 05:05Ann begin, so I'm going to be working
- 05:08to talking today about how the impact
- 05:11COVID is having on young children.
- 05:14As Linda said, I'm the Co director
- 05:17of our parent clinic and parent
- 05:19and family development program.
- 05:22I've been working a very long time clinically
- 05:25with young children and their parents.
- 05:28I also supervise our trainees in psychology,
- 05:31psychiatry and social work.
- 05:32I do mental health consultation to
- 05:35early childhood education programs.
- 05:37I lead parent support group San Juan.
- 05:40Really important group has formed
- 05:43during COVID to really support parents
- 05:45during the challenges that COVID has
- 05:48presented to them as as parents.
- 05:50And then I also teach you undergraduate
- 05:54students and you know they too are dealing
- 05:58with this with this virus an are in
- 06:02their second year of virtual learning.
- 06:05So I want to talk some about the reactions
- 06:08that we're seeing in young children,
- 06:11and I guess kind of the one of the
- 06:13biggest reactions is that a regression
- 06:16an it's much more regression than
- 06:18what is developmentally appropriate.
- 06:21Parents are talking about,
- 06:22you know my child was talking fine,
- 06:25but now she's using baby talk,
- 06:28needing much more help with routines,
- 06:30having difficulty with eating and
- 06:32sleeping and toileting, even when.
- 06:34Pre COVID,
- 06:35they had really mastered all of
- 06:38those aspects of adaptive behavior
- 06:40and then also having a lot of
- 06:43difficulty managing their behavior.
- 06:45Children are failing,
- 06:47having trouble coping with really
- 06:49strong feelings that come up,
- 06:51and that is very challenging to them.
- 06:54We see increases in temper tantrums
- 06:56and not only in the younger
- 06:59children where you expect them,
- 07:01but in older children to an.
- 07:03Those tantrums really occur over
- 07:05very small disappointments and are
- 07:08lasting much longer than usual.
- 07:10Behavioral challenges beyond
- 07:11tantrums have also increased my
- 07:13child's not listening to me.
- 07:15My child's not doing coming to
- 07:18the screen to do the virtue.
- 07:20Well school they have worries about
- 07:23getting sick or getting others sick
- 07:25and this continues to be a fragile and
- 07:28unpredictable time that causes much
- 07:30anxiety in both children and parents.
- 07:32Obviously,
- 07:33for those of you who are apparent,
- 07:36you understand the increased demands that
- 07:38that you have faced during this time.
- 07:41Parents are generally stressed and
- 07:42overwhelmed and feel pulled in many,
- 07:45many directions.
- 07:45Some parents are out of work,
- 07:48some parents have had to deal with
- 07:50COVID in their families and then
- 07:52the stress of juggling the work and
- 07:55children has always been a challenge.
- 07:57But now there's the additional
- 07:59stress of having to be responsible
- 08:01around the child school situation.
- 08:03Finding childcare,
- 08:04worrying that children are being
- 08:06socially deprived and isolated,
- 08:08worrying about too much screen time.
- 08:10It is helpful to know they're
- 08:12not alone alone and when parents
- 08:15come together in a group,
- 08:17they feel that you know well.
- 08:19She's experiencing the same thing I am.
- 08:22Or he's he's he's having the same
- 08:25struggle getting his child to
- 08:28engage in virtual learning.
- 08:30The early childhood education programs,
- 08:32children, and teachers have adapted well.
- 08:34There's been so much many of
- 08:36the programs have returned.
- 08:37There's so much joy around the return
- 08:39to school children are playing about
- 08:41the check-in requirements at school,
- 08:43then when they, they'll say things
- 08:45like when the virus is over,
- 08:47you can come to my house and see my trucks,
- 08:51or when the virus is over.
- 08:53I'm going to have all my friends
- 08:55come to my birthday party and
- 08:57this was really interesting.
- 08:58And I've heard this from
- 09:00multiple centers teachers have.
- 09:02We're ready to have children,
- 09:04have serious separation anxiety after
- 09:06being out of school for so long,
- 09:08and they're really reporting
- 09:11that children are separating and
- 09:13parents are separating with with
- 09:15ease as they return to school.
- 09:18I wanted to talk about a little girl
- 09:20and for those of you who joined us in
- 09:23the fall about a little girl that I've
- 09:27been seeing in therapy five years old,
- 09:29she's been in multiple foster
- 09:31homes since she was two.
- 09:33An around the beginning of Kovid.
- 09:35She and her sister were placed
- 09:38in separate foster homes.
- 09:40But she was able to see her sister every
- 09:43day until at daycare until the fall of 2020.
- 09:47Recently, she moved from a foster
- 09:49home she had been in for a year.
- 09:52Heartbreaking,
- 09:53and we're really worrisome and upsetting.
- 09:55And in that previous foster home,
- 09:58a family member had COVID and then
- 10:00someone in her class tested positive,
- 10:03so she had to quarantine
- 10:05twice during the school year.
- 10:07She's now adjusting to a new foster home,
- 10:10an I became her therapist.
- 10:12After her beloved clinician of
- 10:13two years left the clinic after
- 10:15completing her training an I've only
- 10:18worked with her through Tele Health.
- 10:20So for a long time she called me
- 10:22by the other clinicians name or no,
- 10:25or just by hey you or no name at all.
- 10:29She finally began to play with
- 10:31her baby dolls,
- 10:32nurturing them gently and lovingly.
- 10:34An invited me to play with mine
- 10:36in the same way.
- 10:38This was a game she regularly
- 10:40played with her previous clinician.
- 10:42I felt relieved that she was
- 10:44beginning to trust me.
- 10:46She avoids really even today.
- 10:47Exploring feelings connected to her losses,
- 10:49but she can express her ambivalence.
- 10:51Her anxiety about the fragility
- 10:53of relationships and be explicit
- 10:55about her anger.
- 10:56One day she had a really positive session
- 10:59with me where she played with the baby dolls.
- 11:02She called me by my name and
- 11:04talked about being friends forever,
- 11:06but when it was time to end the session,
- 11:09which has traditionally since
- 11:10the beginning of our therapy.
- 11:12Been a very hard thing to do the saying
- 11:15goodbye just brings up so much for her.
- 11:17She got upset and she said
- 11:19you are doctor oldies,
- 11:20mushy and sloppy.
- 11:21I don't like you.
- 11:22I don't ever want to see you again.
- 11:25That was pretty devastating,
- 11:26but luckily a few weeks later,
- 11:28at the end of the session,
- 11:30she went into her closet and she
- 11:33said I want to tell you something.
- 11:35I think you're a super girl in
- 11:38your beautiful Ann.
- 11:39Recently, she's elaborated her play
- 11:41about families taking care of babies,
- 11:43having sleepovers, and and actually
- 11:45get last night she engaged in a lot of
- 11:48caretaking of the baby and getting the baby
- 11:51ready for school and saying, you know,
- 11:53you're going to miss school if you don't.
- 11:56Fix your hair and get dressed and get
- 11:59your book bag an in a conversation
- 12:02with her new foster mother today.
- 12:04It sounds to me like that early morning
- 12:08routine has been very difficult for
- 12:10her and so some of Kay's words to me
- 12:14in the play or to her baby in the play
- 12:17really were reminiscent of what the
- 12:19foster mother has been saying to her.
- 12:22The sisters miss one another a
- 12:24couple of weeks ago, I.
- 12:26Suggested to K that she might
- 12:28like to write to her sister.
- 12:30And so here's some of her words
- 12:32and her sisters words in response.
- 12:34Dear a I miss the world with you.
- 12:37Did you like the world with me?
- 12:39Miss you and your friends?
- 12:40I will say happy birthday to you in August.
- 12:43Love K dear Ki miss the world with
- 12:46you and I love you very much and
- 12:48will not stop loving you all day.
- 12:50I will see you soon.
- 12:52I will also say happy birthday when
- 12:54it's your birthday again in August.
- 12:56Love. A deer a I love you.
- 12:59You are my heart.
- 13:00Love K.
- 13:01So I'm waiting for next week
- 13:04for the phrase response.
- 13:06And then finally just a tip that I like to
- 13:10give when thinking about young children.
- 13:13Anne Anne.
- 13:14What can be most powerful in helping
- 13:17them to cope is really their
- 13:20capacity to use imaginative play.
- 13:22It really does give children the
- 13:25chance to say what's on their minds.
- 13:28It gives them a chance to really
- 13:31assimilate something that's been difficult,
- 13:33like COVID or a traumatic experience.
- 13:36Gives children the opportunity to
- 13:39express feelings and conflict and
- 13:41it also gives us as an adult a
- 13:44window into their world and kind
- 13:46of kind of what's what's their,
- 13:49what they're trying to navigate.
- 13:51An it also most importantly at
- 13:54a time where nobody really feels
- 13:56very much in control of anything.
- 13:59It gives them control over
- 14:01their imaginative world.
- 14:02So I'm going to stop and I
- 14:05look forward to engaging.
- 14:07With you with your questions and.
- 14:11I'll stop this,
- 14:12Nancy.
- 14:13Thank
- 14:13you very much Dorothy, might I.
- 14:16I would like to invite Dorothy's to
- 14:18be now to present to us Dorothy.
- 14:23Can everyone see this? Yes, OK, good.
- 14:27So I'm really delighted to be here and.
- 14:31I think we all have been
- 14:33through a lot in the last year.
- 14:35There's a little bit of light in the future,
- 14:38but. As with all of us,
- 14:42I think we're still nervous
- 14:44about a what's coming and B.
- 14:46What will be the repercussions for
- 14:49all of us in our children after COVID?
- 14:54One of the things that I do is
- 14:57work with access mental health,
- 15:00and in 2015 the state gave funding
- 15:03to support pediatricians in
- 15:04their work with mental health.
- 15:06In the kids that they treat.
- 15:09So the primary care physicians can call
- 15:11a line or access mental health line and
- 15:14talk to a child psychiatrist between
- 15:179:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday.
- 15:20And this was started well before COVID,
- 15:22but I think it is really blossomed
- 15:25in COVID because.
- 15:27The pediatricians are seeing more and
- 15:30more kids that maybe had a few issues,
- 15:33but now it seems as though
- 15:35they are really struggling,
- 15:37particularly with virtual school not
- 15:39being able to be with their friends etc
- 15:43and families are struggling as well.
- 15:45So what do we do?
- 15:47Well, it's as I mentioned a telephone
- 15:50consultation so a pediatrician
- 15:52can call up and say hello.
- 15:55I'm treating little Jenny and she
- 15:58is really struggling with XY and Z.
- 16:01If it is a an area that the
- 16:04child needs extra services,
- 16:06one of the things our team
- 16:09does that's multidisciplinary.
- 16:10With social workers,
- 16:11the person who answers the phone
- 16:14as the administrative person and
- 16:16a peer specialist who has a child
- 16:19with mental health issues were
- 16:21able to connect with families and
- 16:24help them to connect to services.
- 16:27As you may know,
- 16:28in mental health some places
- 16:30take this insurance.
- 16:32Some places take that insurance,
- 16:34some places don't take.
- 16:36Any insurance and for a family to
- 16:39try to sort through all of that and
- 16:42find services can be really just
- 16:45overwhelming and we help them with that.
- 16:48In addition,
- 16:49if the pediatrician has questions
- 16:51about some of the medical issues
- 16:53about starting medication for
- 16:55treatment of depression, etc,
- 16:57they can call and get it in,
- 17:00you know, and in time consultation,
- 17:03sometimes even when the family
- 17:05is sitting there.
- 17:07If the pediatrician is really
- 17:08concerned about a child,
- 17:10maybe they've been treating them for a while,
- 17:13but the child seems to have more
- 17:15problems than what they were thinking.
- 17:17They can get a one time
- 17:19psychiatric evaluation,
- 17:20and I have really enjoyed doing that.
- 17:22I also.
- 17:24Do supervision with the child and
- 17:27Adolescent psychiatry fellows and we
- 17:29do this as a group and talk about
- 17:31the cases and how to be helpful and
- 17:34then give those recommendations both
- 17:36to the family and the pediatrician,
- 17:38and then our last.
- 17:40Service is education.
- 17:42We provide zooms monthly for the
- 17:46pediatricians in the state.
- 17:48Talking about depressions,
- 17:50anxiety etc etc as educational offerings.
- 17:54We can do educational offerings for just one.
- 17:59Office we do some tools, handouts,
- 18:03etc to help the pediatricians stay up to
- 18:07date on what's going on in mental health.
- 18:12So what's COVID done?
- 18:14Well, if you can see here,
- 18:17it seems like things were
- 18:20really fairly acute back in.
- 18:232018 and then they sort of
- 18:26evened out until Kovid.
- 18:28And this is where we are now.
- 18:30An actually probably since
- 18:32then we're way up here,
- 18:34where we've continued to go up,
- 18:37and in fact, we're up 60% in terms of
- 18:40the number of consultations we've had
- 18:43this year between July and December,
- 18:45an last year between July and December.
- 18:48And as I said, it's the the.
- 18:52Numbers just keep doubling,
- 18:54and the pediatricians will call.
- 18:56And here's a frequent thing that they may
- 18:58say I'm doing my annual physical exam on Joe
- 19:02and in doing his screening for depression,
- 19:05he scored high and now I'm hearing about
- 19:08all of these other issues that he's having.
- 19:12So oftentimes these are kids that have
- 19:14never been in a mental health system at all.
- 19:18But when they go and talk to their
- 19:21pediatrician, someone that they've
- 19:23known their whole lives and they trust.
- 19:26They're beginning to talk about
- 19:28what their struggles have been.
- 19:30Now, if you know adolescents,
- 19:32sometimes it's really hard to read them.
- 19:35The moods of an adolescent can look the same,
- 19:38so this is a humorous slide that says,
- 19:41you know, happy, depressed,
- 19:42excited, anxious, manic, suicidal.
- 19:44All of those look exactly the same,
- 19:47and many parents will say my child seems to
- 19:50be more withdrawn or they stay in their room.
- 19:53But I don't know what's going on with them.
- 19:56They you know they don't
- 19:59really talk too much to me.
- 20:01And so it may be difficult for
- 20:04them to know how much is my child
- 20:07really struggling right now?
- 20:09So I'd like to tell you a
- 20:12little bit about Melanie.
- 20:13This was one of the
- 20:15consultations we received.
- 20:16Pediatrician called and said that he's been
- 20:19taking care of Melanie since she was a baby.
- 20:22She's 16 years old now and she has not
- 20:25had previous psychiatric history or care.
- 20:28She's always been a high achiever.
- 20:30She's been active in sports and clubs etc.
- 20:33But her parents say that she's always
- 20:35had some problems with herself
- 20:37image and tends to put herself down
- 20:40or think she doesn't look.
- 20:42Pretty enough, etc,
- 20:43but she's never really needed.
- 20:45Mental health care and she's always
- 20:48been well adjusted in school,
- 20:50has done well but phone COVID
- 20:53in the fall of 2020.
- 20:55Following virtual classrooms
- 20:57and more virtual classrooms.
- 20:59The family notice that she was spending
- 21:02more time in her room when it came
- 21:05time to get onto the video for her classes.
- 21:10Sometimes she wouldn't.
- 21:11Put up her visual.
- 21:13She would, you know,
- 21:15sort of keep her.
- 21:17Camera closed and her grades were falling.
- 21:20She seemed to have less motivation.
- 21:23She wasn't eating very well and she
- 21:26really wasn't keeping up with her friend.
- 21:29She wasn't talking much to family.
- 21:32All of the things that she used to
- 21:35like it seemed like she wasn't doing,
- 21:38and the pediatrician when they saw her
- 21:42an weighed her found that she had lost
- 21:45£15 over the last four or five months.
- 21:49So.
- 21:50What we did we called.
- 21:52We talked to the family.
- 21:54It became clear that that her
- 21:56issues were fairly complicated.
- 21:58We were starting from scratch.
- 22:00She didn't have any services,
- 22:01so we decided to do a one time evaluation and
- 22:04during that evaluation
- 22:06we diagnosed depression.
- 22:07It seemed like she had a serious
- 22:10depression and we were concerned
- 22:11that it seemed as though her body
- 22:14image was such that she may have
- 22:17a restrictive eating disorder.
- 22:18She seemed to still think
- 22:20that she didn't look right.
- 22:22Even though she had lost this weight
- 22:24and we were concerned that this was
- 22:27going to be a really big issue soon
- 22:30because she was losing weight quickly,
- 22:33we recommended psychotherapy and
- 22:34helped her get into psychotherapy and
- 22:37helped have Family Services as well.
- 22:39It seemed as though she was
- 22:41withdrawing from her family how to
- 22:43help them communicate how to help
- 22:45the family know how to help her
- 22:48and increase their communication.
- 22:50We referred to a nutritionist.
- 22:52The PCP was going to have
- 22:55weekly weights at the office,
- 22:58and the pediatrician started
- 23:01an antidepressant.
- 23:02They felt comfortable doing that
- 23:04because they had our consultation,
- 23:06which he knew he could do.
- 23:08You know,
- 23:08anytime if things weren't going
- 23:10so well and we would look for a
- 23:13higher level of care if needed.
- 23:18So what tips can we give
- 23:20for families during kovid?
- 23:22Well, the very first thing that I always
- 23:25think of is how are the parents doing?
- 23:28How are the caregivers doing
- 23:31caregivers who are stressed children
- 23:33pick that up from a mile away.
- 23:35They can feel the tension.
- 23:38They know their family stress tan
- 23:40as Nancy brought up you can see real
- 23:43regressions and distress in kids when
- 23:46they know something isn't right so.
- 23:48Really helping the caregivers
- 23:50remember to take care of themselves.
- 23:54Help them remember to stay engaged
- 23:56with their support system through zoom
- 23:58planning something special every week.
- 24:01It can be very helpful for them
- 24:03to know that we're not the only
- 24:06ones everybody struggling.
- 24:08And as Nancy said,
- 24:10sometimes a parent support
- 24:12group can be extremely helpful.
- 24:15Other things to do for children
- 24:18communication is really really key.
- 24:21Kids who are depressed who are anxious
- 24:24who are otherwise distressed may have
- 24:27the tendency to behave differently.
- 24:30They may become irritable.
- 24:32They may be oppositional.
- 24:34It may seem like they're
- 24:37having behavior issues,
- 24:38but probably these are real
- 24:41sort and symptoms of stress,
- 24:43anxiety and predictability.
- 24:45So having the family have times
- 24:48together where they can just.
- 24:49Relax together, talk together,
- 24:51take a walk,
- 24:52have meals together and it's
- 24:54important for parents to actually
- 24:57ask their child what's going on.
- 24:59How are you feeling and be able
- 25:01to validate those feelings,
- 25:03whether they're positive or negative.
- 25:06Routines are always helpful for all of us,
- 25:09but particularly for kids and
- 25:11especially for kids who maybe have
- 25:14some ADHD or some other issues.
- 25:16Having schedules posting it,
- 25:17putting time for both work and for pleasure.
- 25:20For kids who are on online all day,
- 25:24they have some time off.
- 25:26What can they do to sort of unwind during
- 25:28those times and giving positive attention?
- 25:31Kids who are distressed may act up,
- 25:34and they get a lot of negative attention,
- 25:37making sure that you.
- 25:39Catch them being good and as I mentioned,
- 25:42practicing self care everyone in the family.
- 25:47And lastly,
- 25:47how to help your child stay
- 25:50connected with their friends if
- 25:52they can't physically be there,
- 25:54there's there's actually a
- 25:55lot of sort of fun,
- 25:57zoom or other video things that
- 25:59kids can play together there.
- 26:01You know,
- 26:02card games or or board games that
- 26:04you can actually play online.
- 26:06Being a bit more lenient about social media,
- 26:09we don't want kids to spend all
- 26:12of their time on social media,
- 26:14and we especially don't want
- 26:16them to get into big drama and.
- 26:19You know bullying,
- 26:20etc.
- 26:21But making sure that they do have
- 26:24some time in there encouraged
- 26:26to keep up with their friends.
- 26:30Making plans for how they can get
- 26:32together now that it's getting to be warmer.
- 26:36There.
- 26:36Maybe sometimes when they can
- 26:38be outside together,
- 26:39particularly after vaccinations,
- 26:40and some kids are just really
- 26:43pretty happy with the way things
- 26:45are when they're online.
- 26:46Kids who have had school anxiety
- 26:49for a long time may have this.
- 26:52I don't have to go into school.
- 26:56Which for that period of time
- 26:58may feel pretty good for them.
- 27:00But when you think about how
- 27:02to get them back into school,
- 27:05you know the longer they're out,
- 27:07the more difficult it comes.
- 27:09And sort of planning ahead,
- 27:10how are we going to begin to think
- 27:13about getting back into school?
- 27:15And how can we help this
- 27:18child feel ready to do so?
- 27:21Communicate, communicate,
- 27:22communicate with teachers with the
- 27:25primary care doctor as a family and
- 27:28know that if a child is irritable,
- 27:31cranky, more annoying than usual,
- 27:33all of those can be signs that they
- 27:37are having anxiety, depression,
- 27:39so asking it's important,
- 27:41particularly for teens that are withdrawn,
- 27:44asking about thoughts of self harm,
- 27:46it never increases the risk if you ask.
- 27:51And frequently they will say so if
- 27:53they're feeling like hurting themselves,
- 27:56or even if they've already started
- 27:58doing things that are self injurious.
- 28:01Any other risk behaviors,
- 28:02what stresses are you having and
- 28:05just helping them feel validated?
- 28:07An understood and of course,
- 28:09seeking mental health care when either
- 28:12the child or the parents are not coping well.
- 28:17So thank you.
- 28:17It's been a pleasure and I look
- 28:19forward to our Q&A at the end.
- 28:24Thank you very much Dorothy.
- 28:25How may I turn to Doctor Hoffman?
- 28:36Thank you so much for having me.
- 28:39I'm really glad to be here and talk
- 28:41a little bit about some updates
- 28:44that we've had over the past year.
- 28:46Specifically for two of my favorite topics
- 28:49in Tele health and emergency psychiatry.
- 28:51So I really only have two
- 28:53specific graphs to talk about,
- 28:55but they really do say a lot.
- 28:58This first one goes through
- 28:59our past year and experience.
- 29:01Through Tele health and what it
- 29:04shows is that both in the two months
- 29:07prior to Cobit we had maybe 30 to 40
- 29:11video visits in our health system
- 29:13and since then we have had over
- 29:16600,000 visits via video for our
- 29:18patients here in the health system.
- 29:21The second graph at the bottom goes
- 29:24through from why I'm so jel medicine,
- 29:26and this is of which child Study
- 29:29Center is apart. We've had almost 100.
- 29:321000 visits for patients to be
- 29:34seen from by their providers.
- 29:36This is huge and what we see is that
- 29:39it was essential as as COVID started
- 29:42and everyone went into lockdown,
- 29:45we really had no other choice.
- 29:48Time we had a bit of a dip that allowed
- 29:51for people to start making better
- 29:54clinical decisions about whether
- 29:56Tele Health was the right venue and
- 29:58was the right tool to use to see,
- 30:01evaluate, and maintain our children.
- 30:03And going forward,
- 30:04we can see that as we're in the middle
- 30:07of another little uptick in wave,
- 30:09we are studying and growing
- 30:11in ambulatory video visits,
- 30:12so this is really good news.
- 30:15This tells us that Tele health has been
- 30:17adopted in a really seamless way in our.
- 30:20In our health system and in
- 30:23the CHILD Study Center,
- 30:24we have group therapy.
- 30:25We have individual therapy.
- 30:27We have medication management.
- 30:28People are being seen where
- 30:30they need to be seen.
- 30:32We also have in person visits
- 30:34because there are some children
- 30:36for whom Tele health is not.
- 30:38The does not make the most
- 30:40appropriate clinical sense,
- 30:41so we do allow for different
- 30:43kinds of treatment when necessary.
- 30:45So this was a good news.
- 30:48Let's let's talk a little
- 30:50bit about the bad news.
- 30:52So I'm currently clinically working
- 30:55in the emergency department today
- 30:57and I've been on call for the
- 30:59last week or so so I can tell you
- 31:01both from a personal emotional
- 31:03feeling as well as the numbers here
- 31:06that these are not really lying.
- 31:08Now let me kind of describe
- 31:10this graph to you.
- 31:11This is the percent of behavioral
- 31:13health children who've scored
- 31:15from the moderate to high range
- 31:17on the Columbia suicide screen.
- 31:18Now we can see this is 2019.
- 31:21Things were a little all over the place,
- 31:23but it averaged around.
- 31:2530% so when you think about it like that,
- 31:2830% were moderate or high and the
- 31:31other 70% were closer to the mild
- 31:33to mild to no suicide screen.
- 31:35So what that meant is that people might
- 31:38be coming in for different reasons,
- 31:40but suicide was not really the issue.
- 31:43We haven't had an uptick that's
- 31:46really remarkable,
- 31:47since since late September
- 31:49in October of this past year,
- 31:52and we've seen an 11% increase in
- 31:56the severity of the Columbia screen,
- 31:58so from 30% to 41% are scoring higher
- 32:02than in the moderate to higher range.
- 32:06So we're noticing this acuity.
- 32:08We're seeing these children in our
- 32:11emergency rooms that are requiring.
- 32:14A different level of care and let me
- 32:16describe it in some examples of some
- 32:19of the patients that I've seen over
- 32:21the last several weeks in months past
- 32:23and prior to the epidemic and the
- 32:25pandemic that we're dealing with,
- 32:27kids might have come to the emergency
- 32:29room almost as a front door to service.
- 32:32Let's say their pediatricians didn't
- 32:33know about access mental health.
- 32:35Let's say they didn't have any
- 32:36kind of prior psychiatric history,
- 32:38and they're coming in because
- 32:40they don't know where to go,
- 32:42and they're trying to reach out.
- 32:44To start, health,
- 32:45mental health care for a child.
- 32:48We don't see those really anymore.
- 32:53You'd also get in the in the old days BC
- 32:56before COVID that children would come in,
- 32:59brought in by school because they
- 33:01mentioned to their teacher or the
- 33:04guidance counselor or a friendly
- 33:06pier and they then went to a grown
- 33:08up and was asking for some help.
- 33:10They were thinking about suicide.
- 33:12They were reaching out in some
- 33:14way in school in school,
- 33:16brought them to our attention
- 33:18to get them help in services.
- 33:21We're seeing that now a little more
- 33:24now that schools are opening up,
- 33:26but we weren't seeing that when when
- 33:29schools weren't really in session,
- 33:30what we are seeing now is that
- 33:33instead of kids coming in with suicide
- 33:35ideations thoughts about wishing
- 33:37that they were no longer alive,
- 33:39or feelings of hopelessness and helplessness,
- 33:42we're now seeing children after
- 33:44they have attempted suicide.
- 33:45So we see kids now following
- 33:47an overdose and ingestion of
- 33:50medications that were made as a.
- 33:52As a true suicide attempt in the past week,
- 33:55we've seen suicide attempts via
- 33:57hanging overdose, attempted cutting,
- 33:59and everything in between.
- 34:00So these kids, who might several months ago,
- 34:04have been able to get help in a
- 34:07slightly lower level of care are now
- 34:09coming to a point where there is
- 34:12nothing else that can be done except
- 34:15put them in a secure location while
- 34:18we stabilize them so that they can,
- 34:21you know, attempt to have.
- 34:23A better future. So this is the bad.
- 34:25We're seeing this.
- 34:27We're feeling this families are stressed
- 34:29and they don't know where to go.
- 34:32And so on that.
- 34:34Lovely note,
- 34:35I'm hoping that that Doctor will
- 34:39have more positive things to say.
- 34:47Thank you so much, Pam Ann.
- 34:49May I turn down to young doctor Ponsan.
- 34:51Alright, thank you and
- 34:52a pleasure to be here as well.
- 34:55So one of my hats is medical director
- 34:57of the Children's Day Hospital.
- 34:59So that's a service that
- 35:01provides care to children.
- 35:03Stop 626 to 12.
- 35:04Currently 8 to 12 in COVID that
- 35:06have significant need and if not
- 35:08for being in a Children's Day
- 35:10hospital would require inpatient
- 35:12care emergency room care so many of
- 35:15the kids were serving in the day
- 35:17hospital or kids with with high needs
- 35:19and this kind of services available
- 35:21to adolescents and adults as well.
- 35:24But our program is for is for young kids.
- 35:28It's a group based program that's
- 35:31supplemented by work with families
- 35:34and individual work with families.
- 35:37Uhm? And So what is the what is the?
- 35:41What is the beauty of group work?
- 35:43And what's the difference about group work?
- 35:45I think is where we start.
- 35:47And so this.
- 35:48So we're located on the
- 35:49Saint Rayfield campus.
- 35:50We haven't identified spot at 3:50 George,
- 35:52but we're still in the Saint Rayfield campus.
- 35:54A lot of this was delayed by COVID.
- 35:58I think you can imagine a sunny room.
- 36:00But with very old looking
- 36:02furniture and carpets,
- 36:03carpets that don't seem like they've
- 36:05been changed since the 1970s,
- 36:07even though maybe they they have been,
- 36:09but it's a beautiful place to
- 36:11be when the kids are are really
- 36:14communicating with each other.
- 36:16And so I think of just happened this week.
- 36:19We have Sam fictitious names.
- 36:21Find Maya a female, and identifies as male.
- 36:27He was talking about their
- 36:29depression and their suicidality.
- 36:31And putting a lot of blame for that,
- 36:34or reasons for that on external
- 36:37forces their parents school.
- 36:39Friends, which is not,
- 36:41which is something of kids can have.
- 36:44But in this case the kids took it.
- 36:47Took it as not having a sense of
- 36:50responsibility for getting better.
- 36:52For making the changes in their thinking
- 36:54and feeling and the changes in their
- 36:56life that could that could help them.
- 36:58And so the kids were challenging,
- 37:00and this is the beauty is that the
- 37:02adults weren't suggesting why don't
- 37:03you think of it of another way?
- 37:05Or try another method? Yes, we have.
- 37:07We have ideas and yes we have a
- 37:09program but the beauty is when the
- 37:11kids really support each other
- 37:13and and confront each other.
- 37:14And Sam wouldn't really have much of
- 37:16it and says well I think I'll just.
- 37:18I'll just kill myself.
- 37:19Doesn't really matter.
- 37:20I'll just do it.
- 37:22And it's both, I think,
- 37:24real painful feelings,
- 37:24but also slightly flipping.
- 37:27And so there was a pause and
- 37:29in someone asked, well,
- 37:30how does.
- 37:31How does Alejandro feel about
- 37:33all this given that your aunt
- 37:36her aunt died of COVID this week?
- 37:38And you know, Alejandro responded,
- 37:41I'm this is really hard to hear
- 37:45that you would take things so
- 37:46lightly and say it so lightly.
- 37:48When my aunt didn't didn't have a choice.
- 37:51To live or to die.
- 37:53So it's really, really hurtful to hear that.
- 37:57And I dropped pause little further
- 37:59and started to develop tears in
- 38:01her eyes and to be honest with you,
- 38:02I've done this program before and
- 38:04I would not be alive today if it
- 38:06weren't for from his Terran to help
- 38:08me and my family through this. Uhm?
- 38:10And I think Sam was quiet and took it in.
- 38:14I don't think they were ready to
- 38:16really look at their vulnerabilities
- 38:18and their fears and why it's
- 38:20easier to stay in the stance of.
- 38:22Of of of Angst and dread and blame.
- 38:25Rather than looking at themselves,
- 38:26that might be overwhelming,
- 38:27but that's that.
- 38:28Will be part of the an ongoing work.
- 38:32So many of the kids that come to us
- 38:35have really some deep seated feelings.
- 38:37Distortions,
- 38:38negative emotions are struggling.
- 38:39I think everyone that spoken today.
- 38:41These are the I think the kids were
- 38:44suffering the final common pathway of
- 38:46all the difficulties of life living in
- 38:49their head in the social media world
- 38:51without the chance to try their their
- 38:53hats on in the in the real quote.
- 38:56Real World School Avoidance difficulty,
- 38:58managing distance,
- 38:59learning stress.
- 38:59So these are all things that are coming
- 39:02together and really heightening.
- 39:04Heightening the distress.
- 39:07Think we see more more sign females
- 39:10in the program then we had before.
- 39:12I think a lot of that has to do with
- 39:14social relatedness and social media stuff.
- 39:17I'm not blaming social media but I
- 39:20think kids being in their head all the
- 39:23time is a real or a real challenge.
- 39:26And so, that's that's where we are,
- 39:28and I think I'll, in the interest of time,
- 39:30I think I'll leave my my comments there
- 39:32and we can gladly answer questions.
- 39:34Thank you.
- 39:36Thank you Ron. Could I ask all the
- 39:38panelists to come back on screen?
- 39:43So Pam, there's a question from the from
- 39:46the audience that I'd like to start with.
- 39:49I'm actually from a very good colleague
- 39:51of the Child Study Center asking
- 39:53saying that the data you present or
- 39:55alarming and do you have the numbers
- 39:58or percentages on the increase in
- 40:00post suicide attempts of presenting
- 40:03to the YD? So
- 40:05I'm I'm sorry I don't have the
- 40:07exact numbers or the percentages.
- 40:09Right now, though I could probably
- 40:12get some clear numbers to you.
- 40:14I can tell you from from a gestalts
- 40:18standpoint, the CL service,
- 40:19the consultation liaison service
- 40:21that that treats patients with
- 40:23behavioral health needs who are
- 40:25admitted for medical reasons.
- 40:26This would be where a child who
- 40:29has completed an overdose to a
- 40:32point where they are requiring.
- 40:35Antidotes and monitoring of liver
- 40:37function and other metabolic tests
- 40:39to ensure that their bodies can
- 40:41be saved from what had happened.
- 40:44Those kids actually don't even get
- 40:46seen by me in the emergency room.
- 40:49They go directly to the inpatient medical
- 40:52unit to be treated from Pediatrics
- 40:54and they get seen by consultation.
- 40:57Liaison psychiatry.
- 40:58I can tell you that before COVID
- 41:00the average number of kiddos on
- 41:03the consultation liaison service.
- 41:05Could vary by by month and we
- 41:07always had an ebb and flow.
- 41:10For those of you who've worked
- 41:12in in children's mental health,
- 41:14but typically you'd see around
- 41:16anywhere from 4 to 8. That would be.
- 41:19That would be an average.
- 41:218 would be a lot and five would
- 41:23be more typical.
- 41:25Now I haven't seen the CL service be
- 41:27lower than eight in several months time,
- 41:30so with that is saying is that there are
- 41:33serious medical issues and complications.
- 41:36For behavioral health patients,
- 41:37this could be eating disorder kiddos
- 41:39who have gotten so bad where they need
- 41:42re feeding and nutrition services.
- 41:43An monitoring during that to ensure that
- 41:46they don't get ill from from the refeeding.
- 41:49This could be kiddos following
- 41:50an overdose or an attempt where
- 41:52they're getting treated for that
- 41:54before they can be medically cleared
- 41:56and go to an inpatient unit.
- 41:58And so I think the numbers are high.
- 42:01If I had to guess a percentage,
- 42:03it would probably be anywhere from
- 42:0540 to 60% higher than previous.
- 42:07Years and times,
- 42:08but I I can get those numbers and
- 42:11what's interesting is those are
- 42:13not kids that we see in the ER.
- 42:15So the increase in acuity that we're
- 42:17seeing are not counted by those kids
- 42:20who have had those serious attempts.
- 42:22They would jump and actually
- 42:24go directly to Pediatrics.
- 42:25I hope that answers it in some way and
- 42:28I I do agree this is quite alarming,
- 42:31and we're hoping that we can try
- 42:33to lessen this risk mitigated.
- 42:35Try to reach out sooner rather than later.
- 42:37That's really going to be our hope for
- 42:40the future to ensure that we're not
- 42:42having to constantly play catch up to
- 42:45a year where kids have been struggling.
- 42:51Another another question from our audience.
- 42:55As COVID, let me just read it as
- 42:57COVID related easing of rules.
- 42:59MGH is expanding virtual visits
- 43:00to many many States and now things
- 43:02are a bit better but regular.
- 43:04But because of the regulations they will
- 43:06only have to be able to have virtual
- 43:09visits in New England States and Florida.
- 43:11Are there any regulations or
- 43:12proposed regulations that may
- 43:14impact our Tele medicine and Pam?
- 43:15I know you've been in the middle of this,
- 43:18so could I turn to you absolutely and I could
- 43:21talk about this all day.
- 43:22So thank you so much for the question.
- 43:25This is really interesting and.
- 43:26And has been an advocacy efforts by many
- 43:30different people in the health system.
- 43:33What MGH was able to do was provide
- 43:37alternatives during the pandemic,
- 43:39different states offered each
- 43:41individual lessening's of regulations,
- 43:43especially as it relates to physician
- 43:46licensure during the treatment and
- 43:49and that seeing kiddos over video.
- 43:51Now, because there's still a
- 43:54public health emergency and some
- 43:56states have continued that.
- 43:58We have different rules in different states,
- 44:01So what MGH has probably done is they've
- 44:04probably set up their providers to be
- 44:07able to have the Tele health license that
- 44:10is required for the state of Florida.
- 44:13They have the pleasure of
- 44:15our Connecticut government,
- 44:16allowing anybody with any state
- 44:18license to be able to treat patients
- 44:20in the state of Connecticut.
- 44:22Because of this public health emergency,
- 44:25which has the same rule that
- 44:27has been offered by New York.
- 44:29I will say MGH does not have that
- 44:32courtesy it for the state of Rhode Island.
- 44:35So it would be very interesting
- 44:37to see how they're handling their
- 44:39patients that have crossed over.
- 44:40Rhode Island has gone back and forth
- 44:43with their public health emergency
- 44:44rules and regulations related
- 44:46to Tele health and licensure,
- 44:48and so that one gets a little tricky.
- 44:50We thankfully, as part of our health system,
- 44:53because we do treat patients
- 44:55across several different states.
- 44:56Rhode Island, New York, and Connecticut.
- 44:58We've already been trying to think about
- 45:00this from a long term perspective,
- 45:02so.
- 45:03We are working with federal legislators
- 45:05and advocates to try to change these rules,
- 45:08not just during public health emergencies,
- 45:10and we've also had several different
- 45:13people from around the Tele health.
- 45:16From all over Tele health within
- 45:18the health system and through I am
- 45:21giving both written and oral testimony
- 45:23for our state General Assembly.
- 45:25To ensure that we can continue to
- 45:27treat children and families via video
- 45:30when appropriate as going forward,
- 45:32regardless of the public health emergency.
- 45:34So far,
- 45:35the governor has signed an executive
- 45:37order extending the permissions for
- 45:39us to do so through April 20th,
- 45:42and I expect that either there will
- 45:44be a permanent solution.
- 45:46Via a bill that gets passed,
- 45:48hopefully,
- 45:48or a continued executive order
- 45:50that will allow this through
- 45:51the public health emergency,
- 45:53I hope that does answer the question.
- 45:55I'm happy to talk about it more.
- 46:00Think of the other payments
- 46:01to advocate with your state
- 46:03legislator, right? Please, do
- 46:04they need to hear from the
- 46:06constituents that this is something
- 46:08that you want that it's not
- 46:10just an improved min of access,
- 46:12but it's that patient.
- 46:13An person choice should be
- 46:15available to allow people to decide
- 46:17how they want to receive care.
- 46:21So I want to turn to another
- 46:23question then that was submitted
- 46:25ahead of time and we have a couple
- 46:27of questions in the chat as well.
- 46:29So I would actually ask Dorothy
- 46:31and Nancy both to address this
- 46:33question about how worried should
- 46:34we be about our children who have
- 46:37moved to a new town in summer
- 46:38and school in the summer of 2020,
- 46:41and yet still have yet to make
- 46:43a single friend because of the
- 46:44pandemic and being at home.
- 46:49So I can. I can speak to that and then
- 46:52I'll turn it over to Dorothy, I think.
- 46:56I'd like to say that you know, children.
- 47:00The children have just moved or
- 47:03obviously with their parents and they
- 47:06have relationships with their parents,
- 47:08and while they don't,
- 47:10if they are connecting virtually to school,
- 47:14they might not really have a physical friend,
- 47:18but perhaps a virtual friend and
- 47:20perhaps appearance could ask
- 47:23the teacher to help support some
- 47:25interactions on line between the.
- 47:28The the new child and the children have
- 47:31been at school for awhile with the hope
- 47:34that when things go back in person they can.
- 47:37They can connect an an also.
- 47:40I would also be in touch with the
- 47:42school as the new school year comes
- 47:45up and children are probably returning
- 47:48to school to ask if there are children
- 47:51in the neighborhood that that might
- 47:53be in their child's class.
- 47:55Could they get together finding
- 47:57places in the community where?
- 47:59Their child could spend time outside,
- 48:02you know,
- 48:03on playgrounds and things like that.
- 48:05If if the playgrounds are open,
- 48:08but really looking into all opportunities to
- 48:10help the child engage with other children,
- 48:14and I'm assuming that the child also
- 48:17might have friends from the place they moved,
- 48:20so maintaining those connections,
- 48:22even just by like zoom play dates,
- 48:25might be helpful to the to the child
- 48:28to and to the parents too.
- 48:31To feel like yes,
- 48:32this is this is going to be OK.
- 48:35I mean for all children I think
- 48:38parents have felt there.
- 48:39The hardest thing for them as parents
- 48:42is seeing how socially isolated
- 48:44their children are.
- 48:45So for even children who've been friends,
- 48:48they really haven't had play dates
- 48:50and opportunities to be together.
- 48:52If they're still learning virtually
- 48:54so Dorothy.
- 48:56You said it beautifully.
- 48:57One thing I would say is when
- 49:00families move during kovid,
- 49:02in particular, the parents don't
- 49:04have supports either and you know,
- 49:06did they have a church community before?
- 49:09Did they have you know where there's
- 49:12some other communities reaching
- 49:14out to schools, social services,
- 49:16etc to see what's around?
- 49:18And how can they connect
- 49:21with other families so that?
- 49:23They and their children can feel
- 49:25more connected to the new community.
- 49:30So another another question
- 49:31submitted earlier was how can we
- 49:34help children under three adjust
- 49:36to their parents going back to
- 49:38work into the workplace and.
- 49:39Given the length of this pandemic,
- 49:41it may be that some children
- 49:43have only known having a full
- 49:46time mom and dad Nancy.
- 49:47Would you like
- 49:48to start? Or that's often I mean,
- 49:50back in the old days that was often
- 49:53the adjustment that young children
- 49:55had to make when they turn 3 and they
- 49:58were going off to nursery school.
- 50:00Maybe for half day.
- 50:01You know three half days a week or two,
- 50:04half days a week.
- 50:05Making that adjustment is a really big
- 50:08step for someone that little and so.
- 50:10Being able to do things to familiarize
- 50:14the child with the school they're
- 50:17going to be going to to go and see it
- 50:21physically to try to see if the school.
- 50:25Many, many good preschools do home
- 50:28visits before the year starts.
- 50:30So asking the teacher if they could
- 50:33have a home visit sometimes can be
- 50:37a useful thing to do sometimes.
- 50:40Preschools will have open houses
- 50:42for all the children returning and
- 50:45the parents the parents come to and
- 50:47then also finding a program that
- 50:49really understands the importance of
- 50:52supporting children through making
- 50:53that adjustment to a new school
- 50:56while it's while it means having
- 50:58to say goodbye to Mommy and Daddy
- 51:01or Mommy and Mommy or Daddy and
- 51:04Daddy for part of the day for the
- 51:07very first time and get to know.
- 51:10New people it holds so many growth
- 51:13producing experiences for the child.
- 51:15So while it's difficult,
- 51:17it really does promote growth and
- 51:20development and so having teachers
- 51:22who are sensitive to the fact that
- 51:25separation anxiety is real and we we
- 51:28want to see that because it speaks to
- 51:31the importance of the relationship
- 51:33that the child has with the parents.
- 51:37At the same time the parents
- 51:39also have their own.
- 51:41Feelings of separation anxiety.
- 51:43It's hard enough without the COVID overlay,
- 51:45but with that it makes it even more
- 51:48even more difficult and also not
- 51:51knowing the school they're going to
- 51:53and not really knowing the teachers.
- 51:56There are these teachers gonna
- 51:58love my child as much as I do,
- 52:01and so really kind of attending
- 52:03to our own anxiety about that,
- 52:06but also supporting the child's movement
- 52:09forward and acknowledging you know
- 52:11the sadness and the anger and the and
- 52:13the anxiety that come with making.
- 52:16Such such a big developmental stone.
- 52:19Great thank you Nancy Jan.
- 52:21Could I turn to you for two
- 52:23questions that might be related?
- 52:25We've known that the pandemic
- 52:27has really shown a lot of shone
- 52:30a light on a lot of differences,
- 52:32and in equities.
- 52:33Could you speak?
- 52:34This was a question submitted
- 52:36earlier about the difference in
- 52:38impact between Inner city school
- 52:40children who have been less likely
- 52:42to have been able to stay in person
- 52:45with school versus children from
- 52:46less populated or rural areas,
- 52:48and then similarly the demographics
- 52:50of the children that are presenting.
- 52:53To both Bradley Hospital in the Ed.
- 52:57Right, I think I'll try to keep
- 52:59it brief 'cause this could be.
- 53:02This could be a big topic.
- 53:04I think there are the issues of
- 53:06the pre-existing pre-existing
- 53:08strains and the pre-existing
- 53:09numbers then magnified by COVID.
- 53:11So for example,
- 53:13town like Bridgeport has maybe one
- 53:15guidance counselor in you know 303
- 53:18hundred students or as a town found
- 53:20like like Westport will have half of that.
- 53:23So you bring the COVID pandemic and a big
- 53:26part of the COVID pandemic is outreach.
- 53:29Kids are not getting online.
- 53:31Or resource issues with getting online.
- 53:33There are family demands about getting
- 53:35online in terms of parents ability to be
- 53:37at home and work depends on the community.
- 53:40So so the strains on already reduced staff
- 53:42are much greater in those communities,
- 53:44so that makes it very difficult.
- 53:46I don't think we have all the numbers
- 53:48yet on how many kids just simply
- 53:50dropped out and didn't attend.
- 53:52Even get online.
- 53:53I think there's some preliminary
- 53:55numbers there.
- 53:55I know in New Haven at least,
- 53:57you know maybe 15% of kids get at least
- 54:00one F and this semester I think it's doubled.
- 54:03This last semester,
- 54:04so clearly kids are declining in
- 54:06their in their in their work function.
- 54:08And then of course all the things
- 54:10that you can imagine as well that
- 54:13the higher socioeconomic areas have
- 54:15more folks that can work from home.
- 54:18It's a challenge in terms of
- 54:19supervising your kids,
- 54:20but at least you have an option as
- 54:23opposed to folks that have to go in and
- 54:25work in person have limited resources.
- 54:28I think the other piece that we've
- 54:30seen is that the sum of the urban
- 54:33areas have more higher death rates.
- 54:35People love brown and persons of color,
- 54:37so that kids are also exposed to those
- 54:39environments in those complications and
- 54:41people getting sick more frequently.
- 54:44As far as the numbers,
- 54:45just quickly.
- 54:46On the demographics,
- 54:47I think the demographics the Ed serves both
- 54:50the Yale New Haven and the surrounding areas,
- 54:53like the last figures that we had,
- 54:55were perhaps,
- 54:56you know,
- 54:5750% thirty percent 4050% people up
- 54:5930% people of color and 70% white,
- 55:01but that could be that could
- 55:03be off at this point.
- 55:08And the and the Children's Day hospital.
- 55:10One other pieces.
- 55:11We serve the same population,
- 55:13but we also have the added demand of
- 55:15transportation which is not available,
- 55:16which we'd like to make available to
- 55:18families because some families have
- 55:20better capacity to transport than others.
- 55:22So another piece for socioeconomics
- 55:23can play a role in treatment.
- 55:28So big thanks to all our panelists and
- 55:30we have one more minute and Dorothy.
- 55:33Did you want to mention that the about
- 55:35access mental health that you just
- 55:37put in the chat so one of the.
- 55:41Participants here asked about a 15
- 55:43year old that they have who's had
- 55:46sort of chronic anxiety but has really
- 55:48gotten worse during COVID and the
- 55:51usual thing my insurance gave me.
- 55:53You know names and names and
- 55:55others gave me names and names,
- 55:57and I've been calling and no one
- 56:00has any spots and it is true
- 56:03that it's difficult to get spots
- 56:05if you're in Connecticut,
- 56:06may I suggest that you ask your
- 56:09pediatrician to call access mental health?
- 56:12The resources that we have in
- 56:14terms of who are all the providers,
- 56:17what insurances do they take?
- 56:19Who has spots open?
- 56:20Can really help make this so much
- 56:22easier because you are correct.
- 56:24It can be just really overwhelming
- 56:27trying to find someone.
- 56:30I'd
- 56:30only add that from the emergency perspective,
- 56:32one of the beautiful things about
- 56:35Connecticut and I can say this as a
- 56:37transplant into this state is 211.
- 56:40The ability to access someone
- 56:41at a more urgent level.
- 56:43If you're not sure who you're supposed
- 56:45to go to where they can then help
- 56:48guide you through this process that
- 56:51even as someone who's in the process,
- 56:53sometimes I have trouble navigating
- 56:55it myself.
- 56:56So like we've been talking about a lot of
- 56:59this can be murky and difficult to navigate.
- 57:02So sometimes reaching out to two on one,
- 57:05it is not just a COVID number,
- 57:07it can be used for for mental health crises,
- 57:11not just emergency crises,
- 57:12but crises of attempting to
- 57:14find treatment an access.
- 57:17So thanks to all our panelists and thanks.
- 57:20Thanks to everyone for joining.
- 57:21While I know what we've presented
- 57:23is sobering, there also is light
- 57:25beginning to come and we are very
- 57:27much together as a community to
- 57:29help children and families help them
- 57:31return back to school on to return
- 57:34back to whatever life will look like.
- 57:36Post COVID, but we're most grateful
- 57:38for all of you for joining with us.
- 57:41Send us your additional questions.
- 57:42We'd be glad to answer by email and just
- 57:45very much appreciate your interest and.
- 57:47And support thank you.