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The American Academy of Pediatrics asked Shelly Flais, MD to make a public service announcement regarding teen depression.  You may view it by clicking Here.Teen years are difficult and as parents we see their moods change often so we tend to think they ' ll grow out of it.  The American Academy of Pediatrics has published guidelines to help physicians to tackle mental health issues.  One in 5 teens will experience depression.  It often goes untreated and undiagnosed due to a lack of access to mental health providers.  It is difficult to talk to your pediatrician about emotional and behavioral issues.  But every family has its challenges.  For some it might be some kind of substance abuse.  Others may have a family history of depression.  Perhaps a traumatic event has occurred or a child has been struggling with being bullied.The recommendations below from the AAP are for preteens to young adults ages 10-21 years.  At PHA we ask teens to fill out a depression screen so we may assess their well being.  It helps us determine whether a teen is depressed and to determine how severe the depression is.  We also ask parents to discuss any concerns they may have about their child to give us a better understanding of what may be affecting their child ' s well being.  We will recommend you to seek treatment with a mental health provider if we believe it ' s in your child ' s best interest.The AAP also has g...
Source: Pediatric Health Associates - Category: Pediatrics Tags: Healthy Habits Source Type: news