Anxiety/Stress-Related Disorders, Child Psychiatry

2021 NEI Congress | Colorado Springs, CO & Virtual November 3, 2021

     The Littlest Victims: Optimizing Pediatric Care in Challenging Time
     Presented by Dr. Jeffrey Strawn

The 2021 NEI Congress is off to a strong start with the 5th Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Academy. Dr. Jeffrey Strawn opened the Academy with a topic of utmost importance as of late, pediatric anxiety. In this session, titled "The Littlest Victims: Optimizing Pediatric Care in Challenging Times", Dr. Strawn discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic has produced significant increase in anxiety and related psychopathology in youth, including in those youth at highest risk for developing anxiety. SARS-CoV-2 rapidly enters the CNS and is associated with specific neurologic sequelae in some youth, including ADEM-like findings on neuroimaging (Figure 1).

Additionally, social anxiety and loneliness/social isolation in youth is related COVID-19. Dr. Stawn higlighted the treatment implications in this specific population, including:

When using CBT, consider shifting to address negative beliefs and processing of events, rather than emphasizing exposure

Consider exposure to social and performance situations using virtual means

Do not be lulled into a false sense of security when socially-anxious children and adolescents report improvement concurrent with school closures

On Tuesday, October 19, 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) joined together to declare a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health and are calling on policymakers to join them, stating the pandemic is a leading factor driving this crisis.

Reference:

Zeytinoglu S et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2021;60(10):1300-1308. Abstract

Morrissette M. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2021;60(1):6-7.Abstract

     Additional Resources:

Encore Presentation Pediatric Anxiety and Other Comorbidities CME/CE Credit: 1.0 | Expires: November 8, 2023

Mechanism of Action Animation Fear Conditioning and Fear Extinction CME/CE Credit: 0.25 | Expires: January 12, 2024