Preventing Depression and Mental Health Issues in Preteens --
Lessons for Home and School
Between 7 million and 12 million American youth suffer from mental, behavioral, or developmental disorders at any given time, according to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. At an event on Feb. 23, 2009, sponsored by The Preteen Alliance, Kaiser Permanente and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, two expert speakers discussed the intricacies of preteen depression, and reviewed the warning signs that parents, providers, and educators should look for.
Stanford psychiatrist Frances Wren, MD, discussed warning signs of depression and other mental health issues, and reviewed research about early intervention programs. Dr. Wren is assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry and director of the Child and Adolescent Depression Clinic at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Dr. Wren's sub-specialities include mood and anxiety disorders. One of the core goals of Dr. Wren’s academic work is to improve clinical outcomes and access to effective care for depressed and anxious children and adolescents.
Shashank Joshi, MD, also a psychiatrist at Stanford, addressed what role schools can play when dealing with preteen depression and reviewed screening tools that have proven effective. Dr. Joshi is director of the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Research Program at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. He also works with the School Mental Health Consultation Service, partnering with local school districts and nonprofits to serve children with developmental disabilities.
Thank you to everyone who attended this event. If you haven't already, sign-up to receive advance notice of all Alliance events.
