|
Tools and Resources (Nov) |
|
|
|
Medscape Provides First Hand Account of Mental Health Checkup
 Experts in adolescent health are taking important steps to educate primary care physicians on the importance of early identification of mental illness. John Genrich, M.D., a pediatrician who has implemented mental health checkups in his Colorado Springs, Colo. practice and Leslie McGuire, M.S.W., deputy executive director of the TeenScreen National Center for Mental Health Checkups, explore the case for early assessments and provide real-life examples of how to incorporate mental health screenings into practice.
Adolescent mental illness is especially under identified in primary care; as many as two in three depressed youth are missed by their primary care providers and are not currently receiving care, according to a 2006 study.
This overview offers information about the recent call to action from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and discusses free evidence-based screening tools already available.
Providers’ Role in Preventing Suicide
 The Suicide Prevention Resource Center offers a toolkit of valuable information to help rural primary care providers (PCP) better identify and address suicide risk in patients, including youth populations. The resources were developed with the unique considerations of rural settings in mind, but provide useful guidelines for other practices, as well.
More than 70 percent of adolescents see a PCP at least once each year -- a key opportunity to ask important questions about depression and suicide. Resources include tips for doctors on referring their patients for immediate evaluation and care.
Published in partnership with the Western Interstate Commission of Higher Education, the free online toolkit focuses on the population of rural adolescents and includes patient education materials, tips for physicians and office staff and recommendations for developing mental health partnerships.
SPRC will hold a Webinar about its new toolkit on Tues., Nov. 17 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.
|
