MENTAL HEALTH INTEGRATION WITH PRIMARY CARE: UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES AND RESPONSES IN THE FACE OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC

Chen, Janet; Walkup, John T.

Objectives: This Clinical Perspectives is designed to inform about the global pediatric mental health (MH) crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss how different institutions combined collaborative care with the telehealth platforms for child and adolescent psychiatrists to support primary care providers (PCPs) in addressing the increasing MH needs of their patients. Methods: This talk includes 4 presentations. The first is a discussion about changes in the demand in pediatric health care across all domains. The second presentation will help the audience become familiar with a model to train PCPs to identify and treat pediatric anxiety during COVID-19 utilizing telehealth. The third presentation will demonstrate how a telepsychiatry access program provided virtual learning sessions with the child and adolescent psychiatrist as a peer consultant for the PCPs. The final presentation will focus on the development of a crisis counseling service to meet the MH demands of the underserved population. We will encourage active participation throughout the presentation with smaller groups for discussion and sharing of best practices. Results: The use of telehealth technology during the COVID-19 crisis has created unique opportunities for collaborative care between child and adolescent psychiatrists and PCPs. The pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented rise in MH disorders with increases in levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The youth population may be particularly at risk due to the disruption of their education, lack of social activities, and decreased physical activities. Healthcare workers are also particularly vulnerable to emotional distress from their exposure to the virus. Prevention efforts, such as screening for MH issues, psychoeducation, and psychosocial support, should focus on these at-risk groups. Programs that include virtual training, consultation, and delivering care to the underserved population will all be discussed. Conclusions: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for PCPs to provide MH care has been increasing at an alarming rate. Child and adolescent psychiatrists can address these needs and support PCPs by practicing in a collaborative care model. The advantages of the collaborative care model include empowering PCPs, reducing burnout, and improving access to MH care for the pediatric population. CON, TVM, PRE