HOUSTON – As schools reopen, there's a lot of focus on children's health and mental health.
According to the CDC, anxiety and depression affect about 10% of children between the ages of 3 and 17.
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Mental health experts encourage talking about emotions. Labelling emotions from an early age by asking, “What makes you feel happy? What makes you sad?” can give children a good start to emotional health.
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“We're seeing a lot more kids with more severe mental illness, more suicidal thoughts and thoughts, and that's a big challenge for us,” said Stacey Wilson of the Children's Hospital Association of Texas. “In fact, over the last five years, Texas Children's has seen a 740 percent increase in the number of kids with mental illnesses coming into the emergency department, which is just astronomical.”
According to CHAT, suicide attempts, suicidal ideation and self-harm are now the most common mental illnesses seen in children's hospital emergency departments. As Texas' population continues to grow, so too does the number and severity of mental illnesses affecting young people.
“It really does occur in children under the age of 8, but a lot of people don't know about it or don't realize it,” Wilson said.
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Dr. Rebecca Bayda of UTHealth Houston said asking about mental health is equivalent to the physical exam portion of a recent health check.
“One thing that has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic and has not yet returned to normal levels is the increase in anxiety and depression among teenagers,” Dr. Bayda said. “So this is something that we're taking seriously and we want to test all young people and provide resources.”
That’s why CHAT just submitted testimony to the House Select Committee on Youth Health and Safety about the importance of improving access to mental health care for Texas children, especially those who rely on Medicaid.
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Wilson said the House committee is looking at children who are at risk of entering the juvenile justice system or foster care, as well as children whose mental health issues go untreated and end up in emergency departments in crisis situations.
Providers who see children in the community, such as counselors, social workers and psychologists, argue they don't receive enough funding from Medicaid to cover their costs.
How will the costs be covered by the government?
“The Legislature has put a lot of funding into mental health. We have help reaching kids in school through the Texas Children's Mental Health Care Consortium, which is great. We also connect primary care providers with psychiatrists at medical schools so they can get support,” Wilson explained. “But what we don't see is that kids who are getting worse and having a crisis don't have a place to go without going to the emergency department.”
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That’s why CHAT urged legislators to specifically cover these services as part of Medicaid plans.
“What we're really asking for is for Medicaid to cover these step-up and step-down services and for outpatient fees and reimbursement rates to counselors and other service providers in the community to increase,” Wilson said.
Finding access to mental health care is a major issue across all age groups and demographics.
For those with private insurance, Dr. Hiren Patel, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare Employers and Individual Plans of Texas, said:
“We also encourage families to familiarize themselves with resources. A variety of resources may be available in your community or through your health plan, including help finding a quality mental health care provider, understanding coverage, and options for virtual care and coaching. And for older children, many colleges offer on-campus support services, 24/7 crisis support, virtual care, and access to self-care apps and wellness resources. Some student health plans, such as UnitedHealthcare Student Resources, offer unlimited free virtual mental health visits for students.”
If you have private insurance, ask your employer about an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which often offers free sessions with a designated counselor several times a year.
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