Making a Difference With Mental Health During Adolescence in a Global Pandemic

Anxiety and depression are common in adolescence and have increased during the coro-navirus disease 2019 pandemic. The isolation from shutdowns and loss of school, loved ones, and typical activities left many children and youth with increased mental health needs. Standardized mental health screening, diagnosis, and treatment with close follow-up care can be done within the framework of the medical home, which is accessible to patients and caregivers. Best practices and a decision tree, a decision support tool, are of-fered to help meet the growing need. Even with current longer wait times for therapists and psychiatry provider shortages, teenagers and families can be helped in meaningful ways to achieve remission, recovery, and well-being.