San Jose, California :Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, disruptions to school schedules, and reduction of social interactions, experts say the mental health of children in the United States is at greater risk than ever before. SAMI-Aid, a patient-focused telemedicine platform and healthcare concierge company, is hosting a free webinar titled “Childhood Mental Health 101” to aid parents in knowing the signs of mental health issues and identifying resources to help children navigate mental health issues they are experiencing. This webinar is the first in a series to help patients be more informed about their health options.
The Childhood Mental Health 101 webinar will be held on Friday, August 7, at 11:00 a.m. PT and will feature Child Psychiatrist Dr. Sara Heron, M.D., who is Board Certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and General Psychiatry.
“As we’ve seen an increase in demand for behavioral and mental health services through our telemedicine platform, we identified a need to educate parents about caring for their children’s mental health during these challenging times,” said John Farhangui, CEO and Founder of SAMI-Aid. “We’re pleased to have Dr. Sara Heron, M.D., share her expertise so that families and children can learn to cope with common stressors.”
SAMI-Aid offers on-demand access to medical professionals of a variety of specialties, including pediatrics as well as mental and behavioral health. SAMI-Aid’s mental health professionals are highly vetted, licensed, and certified in various areas of mental health expertise.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that millions of children were already suffering from mental health disorders, such as ADHD, depression, and anxiety, before the coronavirus pandemic became prevalent in the U.S. A new Gallup survey asked parents how long they could follow social distancing practices and COVID-19 closures before their child’s emotional or mental health would suffer. The survey found that 29% of parents say their children are already suffering. The survey also found that 37% of parents also say their children’s mental or emotional health would be at risk in the next few weeks or months.
“By offering an affordable option to easily access trained behavioral health professionals for children as well as adults, we hope to be a small part of the solution to address our country’s mental health crisis,” added Farhangui.
As an additional resource, SAMI-Aid created an infographic to help parents understand important information about childhood mental health including data on how prevalent the issue is in the United States, signs to watch for that may indicate a mental health disorder, and how parents can help their children. The infographic can be viewed here.
Parents can register for the free SAMI-Aid childhood mental health webinar at https://samiaid.clickmeeting.com/sami-health-bites-webinar-1. SAMI-Aid may also stream the webinar live on its Facebook page and YouTube channel. Future webinars will cover nutrition, adult telepsychiatry, and other relevant healthcare topics, details will be announced at a later date.