Why Parents Hesitate Before Seeking Mental-Health Expertise
Parents who have no problem making a doctor's appointment when their children have a cough, sneeze, or sniffle appear to be resistant when it comes to mental health.
Parents Magazine and the Child Mind Institute conducted a new survey to find out why parents hesitate before getting mental-health expertise for their children.
"If your child has a fever you take them to the doctor, if your child has an emotional pain, it should be the same thing," said Liz Vaccariello, the editor-in-chief of Parents Magazine, in an interview with Cheddar on Tuesday.
A new survey of about 400 parents in the United States found 62% would wait more than five weeks to get their children help with a mood or behavior disorder.
Of the families that said they would think twice before pursuing treatment options, most (83%) said they try to avoid an overreaction and would rather wait to see if symptoms resolve on their own. Other reasons include the perceived cost of mental-health care and the fear that their children would be labelled mentally ill.
"All of these are myths and we're trying to overcome that," said Vaccariello.
She said parents should be vigilant about monitoring their children's behavior for potential warning signs. Doctors describe these potential symptoms as "pink flags" instead of "red flags" because they're often subtle indicators of mental illness.
Vaccariello said symptoms include sleep disturbances, obsessive thoughts, and debilitating fears.
"It's one thing to be scared of a bee, it's another thing to be terrified to go outside because you don't want to be stung by a bee," she said.
There are fewer than 9,000 clinical child psychiatrists in the United States, but Vaccariello said parents can also reach out to child psychologists, therapists, and school counselors.
"Even something like that can be helpful and healing for the whole family," she said.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/why-do-parents-wait-to-seek-help-on-mental-health-issues).
Health officials are warning of a grim winter as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads rapidly across the country. New York City is the latest hotspot, with cases rising in a way the city hasn't previously seen in the pandemic. Dr. Bob Lahita, director of the Institute for Autoimmune and Rheumatic Diseases at St. Joseph Health and author of the book "Immunity Strong," joined Cheddar to discuss whether the rest of the country will follow in New York's footsteps.
Covid cases and deaths are on the rise in many parts of the country even before the Omicron variant takes hold. More than 30 states had higher seven-day averages for new cases last week than they did before Thanksgiving, according to Johns Hopkins University data, with some of the biggest increases in the Northeast. Dr. Anthony Santella, professor of Health Administration and University COVID Coordinator at the University of New Haven, joined Cheddar to discuss where we stand in the pandemic and how we can keep ourselves safe during the holidays.
Carlo's joined by a quarantining Baker to discuss the headlines from the weekend as Omicron spreads like wildfire, Manchin kills Biden's signature bill and Spider-Man throws a lifeline to the box office.
Authorities say at least five people died when a powerful storm system swept across the Great Plains and Midwest, spawning hurricane-force winds and likely tornadoes in Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota.
A gem company in Sri Lanka has unveiled a rare and massive gemstone weighing 683 pounds (310 kilograms) that has been certified as one of the biggest corundums ever found in the country.
