(soothing music) - So, I wanna talk specifically about children, our kids, and the ways in which the pandemic made mental health more of an acute issue for them.

In some ways, I think it's kind of an obvious thing to have happened, given the disruption to them.

But again, I'm not sure that the kind of attention that the issue needs is being put on at.

Jamila, tell us about the kind of things that you're seeing with children that is different from the rest of the population.

- I think one of the things that we're seeing here at Judson Center, as we're providing services to our community members, and we also provide services in the schools, is this disruption in regards to development.

So, one of the things we have to remember is that, as some of our younger kids, even kindergarten and younger, were starting their development in school, they were isolated.

And part of child development is peer-to-peer interaction.

And so one, we're seeing, as the kids are returning to school, their sensory issues, they're overly, since there's an overabundance of this interaction of individuals that they weren't accustomed to, which is then causing them to have a reaction and behavior which in some instances may look like negative behavior, but it's really anxiety.

It's really this impact of being thrust into an environment that they did not really have the chance to step into an a traditional way.

So that's at our elementary, younger age, as the kids get older, grief and trauma, there's a delay in that process.

So, you're in shock.

And now those symptoms of grief are presenting themselves where there is a higher rate of suicidal ideation, a higher rate of depression.

I'm getting referrals every day, and the ages are getting younger and younger, for kids who are experiencing those intrusive thoughts and those internal responses to stress.

Now, at a later time, with the loss and grief that they were experiencing, was a year, or a year and a half ago.

- Yeah.

So, I wanna talk about how we know and how individuals know when they should be seeking help when they're having, you know, the kind of problem that, you know, a professional care environment would help with.

But I also want to talk about that in the context of our community, the African American community, where there is still a bit of a stigma, you know, associated with mental health care and the idea of raising your hand and saying you're having a hard time.

What should we be looking for and how do we get people to engage, Jamila?

- I think the first key is that mental health services is not for a specific community or specific diagnosis.

Most individuals have a mental health benefit for their insurance, and that means that it's accessible to all.

So, I think there's a misconception around when to seek services.

Our role is, when people come in, is to determine what level of care they need based on what they've experienced.

So, that's the first step, taking away the stigma of, you have to have a particular type of severity in order to receive mental health services, which could consist of therapy as well as medication, as well as support services, case management services, things like that.

So one, what those services entail, and that is accessible to all.

I think one thing that is a key to look for, specifically in our community, is that if you begin to disengage even more, and you find yourself exhausted more than usual.

If you are having what I stated, those intrusive thoughts, just random thoughts coming through your mind, don't ignore those.

Pay attention to them.

Because over time, thoughts can turn into action.

And then also if you're noticing that your temper is changing.

Part of anxiety is that sort of adverse reaction to things, being angry or aggressive, we assume that we're upset or it's just a bad day.

But you could be overstimulating and your anxiety could be increasing.

- Michael, how do we identify when we need help and how do we get more African Americans to be comfortable with that idea?

- So, African-American.

Well, African Americans, this is an issue that's unique to African Americans.

Let me first state that.

And predominantly in communities of color, whether it's Latino Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, the stigma for people who require mental health treatment and people seeking mental health treatment is extremely high.

The fear that they're gonna be labeled crazy by their friends and loved ones, is still out there.

One of the encouraging signs that we've seen is that the younger generation, particularly people who are under the age of 21, have been far more, and college-age individuals as well, have been far more receptive to being open about their mental health struggles, engaging in treatment, and seeking out that help.

So, generationally, it is changing, but anecdotally, our aunts and uncles, and grandmothers, and grandfathers, they're still on that same page of, you know, "Just deal with it, walk it off, it's gonna be okay.

We don't talk to people about our problems."

That's not the path forward that we need to do.

Encouraging signs have been that the primary care community has started engaging in things that can help get more people into treatment.

If you've been to a physician in the past few years, oftentimes they'll ask, "How are things going at home?

Have you had any thoughts or any struggles with regard to stress?"

Or "Have you had any thoughts of harming yourselves or others?"

Your primary care doctors are now asking those questions.

I think we could all benefit from what I call a mental health checkup every year.

Just like you go to your primary care doctor to make sure that your blood sugar levels are okay, your cholesterol is okay.

Talk to a therapist or a psychiatrist once a year.

You may not be having any issues that you may be aware of but just sit down, talk to 'em.

If they say, "Okay, everything seems to be fine with you."

"Great, see you next year."

But if they detect something that may require a follow-up visit, then handle that at the appropriate time.