On Thursday, June 28th, the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation invited guests to discuss the mental health and wellness of children and families in our community. The event was moderated by Paul W. Smith of WJR Radio and included three panelists; Dr. David Rosenberg, Dr. Marilyn Franklin, and Karen Gall, LMSW, CTP-C.
Did you know 1 in 5 children suffer from some form of diagnosable mental illness, with suicide being the 2nd leading cause of death in college students and 3rd leading cause of death in people ages 15-24? The first topic of discussion was surrounded on the role the internet plays on a child’s mental health.
Dr. David Rosenberg, the psychiatrist in Chief at Wayne State University and Detroit Medical Center, discussed how internet addiction changes a child’s mental health.
“Social media and an internet addiction are physically damaging to the brains’ decision-making center,” explained Dr. Rosenberg. “When people go on just a couple weeks of phone detox, their brains normalize again.”
Dr. Rosenberg’s work has been featured on NBC’s Today show and he is often sought out by national media as an expert on issues of child psychiatry.
The next topic of discussion was centered around access to healthcare and the stigmas associated with getting help.
“Stereotypes are one of the largest barriers preventing people from getting the help that they need,” says child psychologist and Clinical Associate Professor at WSU, Dr. Marilyn Franklin. “Care is available but often unaffordable.”
The panelists agreed that we live in a fear-based society with too much content to process, leaving us with limited ways to cope.
The last emerging topic centered around the role a parent’s mental health has on a child.
“There are many families that we have worked with over the years and we have kept a close eye on the child from infancy to adolescence because we knew that there was a significant mental health issue within the parents or caregiver,” explained clinical social worker, Karen Gall, LMSW, CTP-C.
“We have to see if the children are showing certain behavioral issues because of what they’ve been exposed to or if it’s their own mental health issue emerging.”
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ABOUT OUR PANELISTS:
Dr. David Rosenberg
Dr. David Rosenberg is a psychiatrist in Chief at Wayne State University and Detroit Medical Center. One topic that was covered, that Dr. Rosenberg studies, is internet addiction in children in adolescents. His work for this has been featured on NBC’s Today show and he is often sought out by national media as an expert on issues of child psychiatry.
Dr. Marilyn Franklin
Dr. Marilyn Franklin is a child psychologist and Clinical Associate Professor in the psychology department at Wayne State University where she and her team focus on teaching, training, and research activities. She is the principal investigator and primary supervisor for the integrated behavioral health team in the General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (GPAM) division of the Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
Karen Gall, LMSW, CTP-C
Karen Gall has been a clinical social worker at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan for 26 years and has practiced Primary Care Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine for 22 years. Over the past 10 years Karen has been part of the development and facilitation team for the Integrated Behavioral Health Team in the Division of General Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.
