skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina s congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Myorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

VA Kids' Mental Health Still Strained from Pandemic

play audio
Play

Friday, August 26, 2022   

With a new school year beginning, Virginia parents are being urged to keep an eye on their children's mental health.

According to Mental Health America, 79,000 children in Virginia or 13%, have experienced a "severe major depressive episode" in the past year.

Dr. Asha Patton-Smith, a child psychiatrist with Kaiser Permanente, said there are many ways parents can help provide their children the support they will need. She described some of the signs parents should look out for, which might signal a mental-health concern.

"Some of the main things that come up are changes in sleep, changes in appetite, increased social isolation, increased irritability; challenges with patients not wanting to separate from their parents," Patton-Smith outlined. "Social-emotional attachment issues."

Other signs to watch for are panic or anxiety symptoms, and kids complaining of headaches or stomachaches. Given the new school year will more closely resemble schooling pre-pandemic, Patton-Smith feels the return to normalcy might help children. She acknowledged returning to a structured environment is not always easy, but thinks the adjustment period should be easier this year compared to last.

Patton-Smith pointed out parents who take an active role in their child's life can help them maintain good mental health. She advised parents to talk with their children and encourage them to ask for help. Whether the help comes from talking with a mental health provider, a school counselor or school social worker, she feels parents need to be proactive, not reactive.

"As a parent, just be there for your child," Patton-Smith advised. "Have that emotional support by establishing an open dialogue, making sure that you are modeling positive, balanced behavior. And I think that goes a long way for kids."

She added helping children to understand and regulate their own emotions is one way parents can be guides for their child's mental health.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021