TEXAS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL SOUNDS THE ALARM:

Karin L. Price, PhD
Chief Psychologist
Texas Children's Hospital

TEXAS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL SOUNDS THE ALARM:
THE CRISIS OF TEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE

There is perhaps no tragedy more heartbreaking than the loss of a young life to suicide and no greater anguish for parents than discovering that the child they loved, nurtured and believed was happy, was silently struggling with unbearable emotional pain.  Across America, far too many adolescents are battling depression, anxiety, loneliness, cyberbullying, feelings of hopelessness and thoughts of suicide, often concealed behind seemingly normal smiles and everyday activities, often, without parents, teachers or friends recognizing their distress.

Dr. Karin L. Price, PhD, Chief Psychologist, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Associate Prof of Pediatrics-Psychology at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, leads a team of more than 60 behavioral health professionals who are dedicated to addressing the many factors that impact the overall health and wellbeing of children and their families.

Today’s teenager may be the most connected young person in history-and at the same time, one of the loneliest with emotional consequences being anxiety, loneliness, depression, insecurity, anger, withdrawal and in increasing instances, suicide.,

Dr. Price has been featured in prominent regional and institutional news coverage discussing the Pediatric mental health crises and emergency room surges in adolescent suicidal attempts

Where once T.C.H. once treated 40-60 monthly young patients arriving at their emergency rooms. in acute mental health crises, pre pandemic, they now handle 400-500, with symptoms moving from self-harm to active suicidal attempts in children as young as 9 years old.

Dr. Price will discuss suicide prevention, recognizing warning signs of suicide, aggressive behaviors and other behavioral health issues and how to deal with all the pressures affecting young children. She will discuss her ideas on Universal Pediatric Screening, the work of the Zero Suicide Institute, and TCH focus on Stress safety plans for families, the goal being to prepare families before an emergency occurs.

Dr. Price received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Cornell Univ, Weill Medical College, a PhD in Philosophy from the Univ of Connecticut and completed a fellowship in Clinical Psychology at the Univ of Connecticut.

Please invite your friends to this very timely and important program at Rotary

Joe Colangelo
Program Committee