MemorialCare Hosts 2nd Annual Mental Health Panel Recognizing Anxiety Epidemic

MemorialCare held its 2nd Annual Mental Health Awareness Month Panel Discussion at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach and Long Beach Medical Center on May 31, 2019. This year’s topic, The Anxiety Epidemic: Cause, Treatment and Prevention, recognized the growing number of people affected by anxiety. The panel discussed ways health care providers can better serve patients by identifying changes to their emotional, psychological and social well-being.

Kristen Pugh, MPA, VP, Advocacy and Government Relations, MemorialCare, introduced the panel discussion and spoke to the importance of mental health care in the community.

“It is critical to better understand mental health issues and how they can be addressed and relieved,” said Pugh. “We want to be a part of creating a solution, and it takes a village to discuss how we can all be doing better.”

Collaborating is key in reversing the stigma of seeking help. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 18.1% of the population, yet less than half, 36.9%, of cases are treated.

Kelly Colopy, Director of the Long Beach Health and Human Services Department gave a few remarks on creating a well-balanced system that offers mental health services throughout the community. Then, three mental health experts presented topics related to their field.

Dr. Iona Pal, PsyD, Clinical Psychologist with the Stramski Children’s Developmental Center at Miller Children’s & Women’s, gave a talk on anxiety related to the pediatric population. Dr. Pal shed light on the many ways that children demonstrate anxiety when she showed a slide that listed over fifty symptoms ranging from headaches, tantrums, avoidance to muteness.

“One in six children, ages 2 to 8 have a mental, behavioral or developmental disorder,” said Dr. Pal. “That is a lot of problems for younger children to deal with when they should be learning how to spell and how to develop friendships. It is not always easy to diagnose but it is doable by paying attention, taking good histories, collaborating and following up.”

Next, Ellen Hartwick, LCSW, Mental Health Director of the LGBTQ Center Long Beach presented on anxiety within the adult and LGBTQ populations. She examined how language plays an important role in mental health. One way she suggests helps relieve LGBTQ individuals’ anxiety and feel more welcome is by greeting someone without assuming their gender.

The last presenter, Dr. Liam Zaidel, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist with LA County Department of Mental Health, stressed the importance of integrated care that does not separate mental health from medical care. Because in 2030 there will be a higher number of people with anxiety disorders, he suggests people will need more mental health resources that improve quality of life, than ever before.

MemorialCare aims to support those seeking mental health care and education on mental health. By hosting discussions, MemorialCare hopes to help health care providers and community partners better understand mental health as it relates to overall wellness. This event was produced by MemorialCare’s Office of Government & Community Relations.