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June 10, 2010
Group Calls For Screening Children, Teens For Mental-Health Issues.
The Wall Street Journal (6/1, Wang) reports that an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) task force now recommends that children should be screened for mental-health issues at every visit to the pediatrician.
The AAP task force also suggests that physicians should put together a list of mental-health clinicians to whom they can refer young patients needing further assessment. The AAP has found that approximately one in five children and teenagers may have a mental illness, but only 20% of those youngsters get appropriate treatment, a fact made worse by a shortage of psychiatrists in the US. Child psychiatrist David Fassler, MD, treasurer of the American Psychiatric Association, hailed the AAP report as "helpful and comprehensive."
Posted by admin at June 10, 2010 06:21 PM