Jul 20, 2016 6 min read

Notice: Undefined offset: 0 in /usr/web/cs-washington.ogdennews.com/wp-content/themes/News_Core_2023_WashCluster/includes/single/strategically_placed_photos_article.php on line 412

Notice: Trying to get property 'term_id' of non-object in /usr/web/cs-washington.ogdennews.com/wp-content/themes/News_Core_2023_WashCluster/includes/single/strategically_placed_photos_article.php on line 412

Dr. Jeanine Herdman recently received a phone call from an 18-year-old patient she has been treating for the past four years.

“She called me and she said, ‘I don’t know if this is really happening or not. I don’t know if I’m actually having this phone conversation with you or if I’m hallucinating,'” recalled Herdman.

The teen, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, had stopped taking her medication. Because she received the appropriate care and developed a trusted relationship with Herdman, she was able to regain control of her mental health disorder.

“It was set up by her parents years ago, so that as an adult, she’s learned enough things and has a basic foundation set up so she can actually do this,” said Herdman.

At a time when it is estimated that as many as one in 10 children and adolescents has a mental health disorder, Herdman is optimistic for those who are diagnosed.

The caveat is that children and adolescents need to receive appropriate treatment to thrive.

“The problem when you allow a mental health disorder to intercede is the child starts to believe the symptoms of the mental health disorder are actually a part of their personalities,” said Herdman, a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist. “So when you catch these people in their 20s, they now believe that parts of their anxiety disorder are actually a part of their personality. And that’s not the case.”

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 13 percent of children ages 8 to 15 experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life. While those who are treated have a high success rate, many don’t for a number of reasons.

One major impediment to treatment is the deficit of child psychiatrists.

According to the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, there are about 2,500 board-certified psychiatrists in the commonwealth. Of those, about 450 are board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry – not enough to meet the need, according to Herdman.

Getting appropriate treatment is paramount, because “children are not just small adults,” she said. “(Mental health) in childhood looks different as an adult. Research tells us that when you diagnose these things in childhood properly, if you let them go, (the disorder) continues into adolescence, but it looks different. If you let it go into adulthood, it looks different.”

A major catalyst to Herdman’s career choice was the luxury of getting to know her patients on a profound level and helping them change their lives.

“Any other doctor, they don’t know their patients as people. They know them as their illnesses. I’m actually supposed to talk to people, to figure out what’s going on in their lives,” Herdman said during an interview in her Peters Township office, South Hills Integrated Psychiatric Services, in June.

“You can change the trajectory of someone’s life if you fix something that goes wrong in childhood. The vast majority of mental health disorders start in childhood or adolescence, and if it goes undiagnosed in childhood and untreated in childhood, the trajectory has already been set,” Herdman said. “If you can identify something early on, it becomes a non-issue, as opposed to defining someone’s life.”

Although symptoms of mental health disorders vary, Herdman said there are general warning signs that something may be going on that should be investigated.

“If little kids (10 years old and younger) are unhappy to go to school, there’s something going on. If they’re not sleeping well, not eating well, or if they look unhappy most of the time, there’s something wrong. If they’re getting in trouble a lot, there’s something wrong,” she said. “Middle schoolers … are different. That’s where the rubber meets the road. Hormones screw with everything.”

A marked decline in school and trouble eating or sleeping can be indicators in older children.

If a parent or guardian suspects there is something going on with a child, Herdman encourages them to reach out to their pediatrician. Although they may not be trained in psychiatry, physicians are a great source for mental health professionals, she said. Parents can also contact their insurance provider.

“If you want treatment for your kid, it’s out there,” said Herdman. “Trying to figure out where to go first is sometimes hard, and it’s definitely not seamless, but (help) is out there.”

In most cases, the first step is for a child to have therapy sessions, which can be with a number of different professionals, including licensed clinical social workers and clinical psychologists. The most important thing, said Herdman, is that the child and family feel that they’re being heard.

Many times, therapy is all the child needs. Sometimes, though, another level of care is warranted. That’s where Herdman steps in.

Her first visit with the patients and their families takes about three hours, including a medical exam to rule out health issues. She also allows the patient and their family to talk about what’s going on.

“Part of it is … getting them comfortable with what’s about to happen,” she said. “Most people, especially children and adolescents, have had enough negative feedback about their behaviors that have nothing to do with them. It’s symptoms of what they’re dealing with. I have to make them understand that this is a judgment-free zone. We talk a lot in this office about stuff that nobody talks about.”

Bed-wetting and tantrums are frequent topics of discussion – even with teens.

“Kids get embarrassed. They don’t want to tell strangers about this stuff,” Herdman said. “We talk a lot about what mental health is. … There’s a lot of reassurance.”

From that initial visit, Herdman devises a plan that includes therapy and sometimes medication.

A lot of therapy is designed around helping kids communicate what they’re feeling because they often don’t have the words to express themselves.

“Most adults can assign words to what is happening; oftentimes in children and teens, you have to help them determine what they’re feeling,” Herdman said. “Kids are amazing. They suck this stuff in. It becomes automatic. Treatment in children is pretty coo, and they get really well really, really fast when you hit the right nail with the right hammer.”

For more information on childhood and adolescent mental health disorders, visit www.shipsych.com.