On the recordJune 22, 2022
I express my support for H.R. 7666, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022. In over 20 years as a pediatrician, I saw steadily escalating levels of mental illness in my patients. There was a big uptick after 2007 that many associate with ubiquitous social media use. Of course, the pandemic further accelerated rates of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and self-harm. We are seeing 9-year-olds with eating disorders and 10-year-olds with suicidal ideation. This is alarming. We all agree that our children need help, but resources are limited. There just aren't enough behavioral health specialists out there to meet the need, particularly in rural areas like some of those I represent. There are ways to extend the reach of people who have dedicated their lives to supporting our mental health, to leverage those resources so they stretch a little further. One example is the Partnership Access Line, or PAL, that I was able to access as a pediatrician. If I was seeing a patient with a more complicated behavioral health concern, something really beyond the scope of a general pediatrician, I could get a psychiatrist on the line and in-the-moment advice on how to treat that patient. Another example is integrative care, where a mental worker works alongside physicians and other healthcare providers, providing support as needed throughout the day for patients who are struggling with mental illness.…
