Children’s mental health resources stretched by flood of social factors [Tribune-Democrat.com]

Drug abuse, poverty, crime and the breakdown of families are having an effect on children throughout the region, psychiatrists say.

“There are a lot of psycho-social problems in the area that impact on the mental health of children,” psychiatrist Dr. Anseruddin Mohammed said at Conemaugh Counseling Services in Memorial Medical Center’s Lee Campus.

The issues that cause anxiety and stress in parents and other adults are affecting children in the same households, Mohammed said.

Mental health professionals are seeing more kids with depression and anxiety related to the psycho-social issues. The same issues are aggravating symptoms for children with recognized childhood disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and conditions on the autism spectrum.

Poverty and distance make it difficult for many families to find mental health services they need.

[For more of this story, written by Randy Griffith, go to http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/x1736699227/Children-s-mental-health-resources-stretched-by-flood-of-social-factors]