Summer is coming to a close, and it’s almost time to go back to school. What’s going on at Gladstone? Check out our mental health news.
In this issue:
- Advanced Mental Health Screening now accepts Aetna.
- Openings available for medication management with a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner.
- Understanding Antidepressants.
- What Parents Need to Know About Social Media for Kids and Teens.
- How Does Extreme Heat Affect Mental Health?
Now Accepting Aetna for Advanced Mental Health Screening with Dr. Brian Richards
Gladstone’s Advanced Screening program is now accepting Aetna! Are you looking for an easy and effective way to understand your mental health? Advanced Screening with Brian Richards, Psy.D. is a thorough evaluation. Dr. Richards will do a detailed assessment to really understand your diagnosis and behaviors. He’ll look closely at your symptoms, patterns in your experiences, and how you make sense of your life.
Advanced Screening also provides strategies based on brain science to help you cope better. Dr. Richards will teach you techniques to get your body’s stress response under control and improve your overall well-being.
Advanced Screening may be helpful if:
- You feel stuck with your current treatment
- You want to deeply understand your mental health symptoms and behaviors
- You need a more thorough evaluation
- You’d like personalized brain science tips to reduce stress
- You’re new to mental health care and don’t know where to start
After your evaluation, Dr. Richards will give you a personalized report based on scientific evidence. The report will be tailored just for you and your specific needs. It can guide you and your doctors in creating a treatment plan focused on you as an individual.
So, if you’re looking for answers about your mental health, Advanced Screening is a great way to get them! You’ll gain a much deeper understanding about your mental health and useful strategies to feel better.
Advanced Screening is available for any adult 18 or older. Dr. Richards is in network with CareFirst, Cigna, and Aetna, and he also accepts private pay. We are working on making this program available to patients with other insurance plans as well. If you’re interested in the Advanced Screening program, check out the attached flier for more information. You can also call 443-708-5856 to schedule an appointment.
**Note: Advanced screening is not for the diagnosis of brain injuries, learning disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, or developmental disorders. These assessments are not currently performed at Gladstone.
Openings Available for Medication Management
Many of our psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners have space available for new patients. If you are seeking medication management, please give us a call at 443-708-5856 or email new.patient@gladstonepsych.com. Usually, new patient appointments can be scheduled within one to two months.
Understanding Antidepressants
Should you take antidepressants for anxiety and depression? Everyone feels a little anxious or sad from time to time. But if your emotions feel debilitating or prevent you from functioning in your day to day life, that might mean that you need to see a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner. One treatment option is medication, specifically, antidepressants.
What Symptoms Do Antidepressants Treat?
Antidepressants are psychiatric medications. In addition to psychotherapy, they can be a key component in treating depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. These drugs are some of the most commonly prescribed medications around. Their aim is to relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression and prevent them from coming back. Some of the symptoms that antidepressants target include:
[Read More about symptoms antidepressants treat]
Social Media for Kids and Teens
In recent years, social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, especially for kids and teens. But how does this constant connectivity affect their mental health? The U.S. Surgeon General has issued a warning about the potential risks of social media use among young people. It is crucial for parents to understand these risks and know how to protect their children’s well-being in the digital age.
According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% say they are online “almost constantly.” What’s more, the majority of teens ages 13 to 17 say they use a variety of social media platforms including YouTube (90%), TikTok (63%), Snapchat (60%), and Instagram (59%). For older teens ages 15 to 17, these shares are even higher, at about 70% each.
This constant exposure to social media for kids can disrupt important developmental processes and interfere with face-to-face interactions, which are crucial for building social skills and emotional intelligence.
[Read More about social media for kids and teens]
How Does Extreme Heat Affect Mental Health?
You have probably seen a lot of talk in the news about climate anxiety, and we see it in our practice too. Older people worry about the future of our planet for their children and grandchildren. Young people, especially, worry about climate change and how it will affect their own futures. But as we have seen in recent summers, there is a lot more to the impact of climate change on mental health. Extreme heat can affect your mental health in damaging ways.
Mental Health and Extreme Heat
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a report in 2022 concluding that climate change has had an adverse effect on mental health in many parts of the world. The IPCC expects mental health problems to increase as temperatures continue to rise, especially anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).