Adolescent Mental Health Flashcards
What is the difference between Tier 1 and 4 adolescent mental health services?
Tier 1 - services that all young people can access, mainly in community
Tier 4 - highly specialised inpatient CAMH services/ intensive community services
What predisposes young people to anxiety disorders?
biological vulnerability
genetics
abnormal neurobiology
overactive limbic system
What cognitive symptoms present in anxiety?
- Selective attention
- Distorted judgments of risk
- Avoidance
- remember anxiety-provoking cues/experiences
- Perfectionistic beliefs
What physiological symptoms do adolescents normally experience in anxiety?
increased heart rate muscle tension sweating blushing dizziness Nausea Abdominal pain
What different types of anxiety disorders may adolescents present with?
- Social phobia
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Panic Disorder
- Phobias
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
What specific groups are vulnerable to developing adolescent depression?
Young offenders Looked after children LGBT Ethnic minorities Disability Homeless Youth Young People in gangs Unemployed young people
What stressful environments throughout childhood could have caused adolescent depression?
- Conflict between parents/ with parents/siblings
- parental stress
- Separation or divorce of parents
- Conflicts with friends or classmates
- Social disadvantage
- School stress – not doing well, or too much pressure
- Bullying
- Loss of someone important
How are anxiety and depression managed in adolescents?
- Parenting training and guidance
- Talking Therapy (with varying healthcare professional depending on severity)
- Medication (used when other treatments don’t work, or when presentation is severe)
What talking therapy is usually first line and what does it involve?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) = most effective psychotherapy for emotional disorders
- conducted in groups or individually
- helps children with ways to manage stress
- helps them challenge abnormal thoughts
- helps them reduce physical symptoms of anxiety
What medical treatment can be used for emotional disorders in adolescence?
Pharmacotherapy + psychotherapy
Response seen within several weeks
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) recommended
Why is it recommended to target symptoms not diagnoses in children/adolescents?
Diagnoses are often fluid/ not given to these patients
What cautions should you be aware of when medically treating a child/adolescent with antidepressants?
Suicidal behaviour Increasing self-harm Agitation and hostility Increase or decrease appetite Hyponatraemia
There has been a big increase in the number of young people being admitted to hospital because of self harm. TRUE/FALSE?
TRUE
68% Increase
Much of self-harm still does not present to care services. TRUE/FALSE?
TRUE
What do patients claim their reason is for self harming?
- Coping with intense emotions
- Communicating distress
- Re-connecting with self (feel again rather than be numb)
- Attempt to end one’s life (i.e. suicide intent)
- Life saving act
