Description
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in partnership with AAP and CHA declared a national state of emergency in child and adolescent mental health in October 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the past decade’s silent youth mental health pandemic. With 1/5 children and adolescents living with behavioral and/or developmental disorders and fewer than half receiving any treatment, many youth suffered in silence. Suicide was already the second leading cause of death for youth 10-24 years of age. There has also been a disproportionate increase in black children dying from suicide at alarming rates. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the social determinants of mental health and risk factors including family mental health and substance use issues, adverse childhood experiences, racial disparities, social isolation, trauma, food and housing insecurity, economic stress, and poverty. Youth and families of color are disproportionately impacted by the systemic and structural racism and inequities embedded within the systems of care meant to serve them. The syndemics of racism, COVID-19 and mental health created the perfect storm. During the COVID-19 pandemic, children and adolescents went to emergency rooms in crisis. There was a 24% increase in emergency department visits for mental health conditions for children aged 5-11 and 31% increase for youth aged 12-17 years old. There was a 51% increase in adolescent females going to the emergency department with suspected suicidal behaviors. Youth arriving in crisis within emergency departments were presenting with increased severity, complexity and comorbidities. The existing system of care for youth mental health could not meet the rapidly increasing demands of the crisis. AACAP joined other organizations in endorsing the Child and Adolescent Mental and Behavioral Health Principles including: Prevention, Early Intervention, and Early Intervention; School Based Mental Health; Integration of Mental and Behavioral Health into Pediatric Primary Care; Child and Adolescent Mental and Behavioral Health Workforce; Insurance Coverage and Payment; Mental Health Parity; Telehealth; Infants, Children and Adolescents in Crisis; and Justice-involved Youth. Within each principle, the experience of ethnic minority, underserved, LGBTQ, justice-involved, child welfare-involved, and disabled youth should be highlighted. Working in partnership with government, communities and professional organizations, AACAP’s child and adolescent psychiatrists have contributed to strategies such as integrated mental health services with pediatric providers, enhanced school based mental health, and coordinated crisis response services. Collaborations with youth, families and communities in advocacy has been key to continue transforming systems of care to serve all youth, families and communities with health equity and justice.
Format
Recorded webinar.
This content was recorded during the APA 2023 Annual Meeting.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the social determinants of mental health for youth and disparities among communities of color.
- Acknowledge the most important elements of the current crisis in child and adolescent mental health.
- Identify the strategies in response to the youth mental health crisis.
Target Audience
Medical Students, Residents/Fellows, Psychiatrists, non-psychiatrist Physicians
Estimate Time to Complete
Estimated Duration: 1.75 hours
Program Start Date: May 1, 2025
Program End Date: May 1, 2028
How to Earn Credit
Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ may do so after completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned.
Continuing Education Credit
In support of improving patient care, the American Psychiatric Association is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
The APA designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Faculty and Planner Disclosures
The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity — including faculty, planners, reviewers or others — are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.
Instructors
- Warren Ng, MD, MPH
- Tami Benton, MD
Planners
- Vishal Madaan, MD, Chief of Education and Deputy Medical Director at the American Psychiatric Association.
Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities
The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. Please contact the American Psychiatric Association at 202-559-3900, if you require assistance seven (7) business days prior to the start of a live webinar.
Technical Requirements
This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:
- The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
- Internet Explorer 11+
This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.
Optimal System Configuration:
- Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher
Minimum Requirements:
- Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
- Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance