Clear Lake Area Chamber Of Commerce: Clear Lake Connections Podcast Episode 40 | It's Okay To Not Be Okay. Communicating Difficulties Th ...

Press release from the Clear Lake Area Chamber Of Commerce:

November 3, 2021

This week on Clear Lake Connections Podcast presented by UTMB Health: Meet Dr. Kim Gushanas, Assistant Professor in the department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UTMB. In this week’s episode, Dr. Gushanas discusses what health professionals are currently seeing in the sense of children’s mental health and how it has changed over time. Dr. Gushanas also talks about inequities that are currently happening in the healthcare system, how schools are doing a better job at making mental health a topic of conversation in the classroom and signs parents should look out for in terms of changes in their loved ones.

Dr. Kim Gushanas is the assistant professor in the department of psychaiactry and behavioral science. She is a licenced psycologist who works with children adolecents and families. She got into this when she was in high school and she knew it was where she was going to end up. She always had an interest in science and then she took a class and it got her hooked. She got her Masters from UHCL in psychology by landing at UHCL by accident. She said it was an incredible program that prepared her for many experiences.

Specifically what she is seeing out there in childrens mental health in the biggest thing is a huge increase in depression and anxiety which is not abnormal for this time. What they’ve seen is that kids are starting to talk about it which means they can get help when they need it. Also the stress of everything externally can make it hard for people to tolerate in the sense of parents and teachers. There is a general state of stress that people are learning how to manage differently.

Some of the data and science that they’ve seen recently points towards the inequities in the healthcare system when it comes to accessibility of healthcare in and outside of schools Those in minorities whether cultural or racial a lot of these kids in marginalized groups are at a higher risk of mental health concerns. Some initiatives that she has been working on in terms of mental health are the child mental health care concercion and it is a group of different bodies primarily leaders in the community that work in scicne, research and education who come together and they target lack of access that our state has to quality mental healthcare and research for prevention.

Mental health needs to get the exposure it needs. The stigma behind it can be a huge problem especially when it comes to kids. Parents are ding a better job at supporting their kids is important and making these things easier for them to understand. The increace of funding to promote the services is also definitely helping.

As a parent some signs that you should look for and some signs you should look out for in terms of mental health changes. Behavior is a big thing here and a lot of times it’s the only way people can tell. The biggest thing is looking for behavior changes in daily behavior is a big indicator. Course of action if you notice these changes is talking to them, something that you should be doing normally also. Talking about the negatives and the positives is also helpful. The biggest message is pay attention more to your kids, have a meal together, spend time together or do something to connect with your kids even if its only for 5 minutes. Check you school and your doctor for resources that could benefit you and your family.

This press release was produced by the Clear Lake Area Chamber Of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author’s own.