Is This Normal? - Shrinking It Down - Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds

Is This Normal? – Shrinking It Down

By Steven Schlozman, MD and Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Topics: Child + Adolescent Development, Depression, Mental Illness + Psychiatric Disorders

When it comes to our kids, sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s normal behavior and what’s concerning. One of the most common questions Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Steve Schlozman hear from parents, as adolescent psychiatrists, is: “How can I tell if my kid is struggling with a mental health issue?”

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for “Shrinking It Down.”

All kids go through behavioral phases and changes at different stages of life. But when it comes to teens, in particular, it can be hard to tell the difference between typical irritability, withdrawal, and fatigue and something more problematic. When is it cause for concern? The answers to these questions are not crystal clear, but in today’s episode Gene and Steve provide tips and guidance on how to know if your child could use some help. Plus, we’ll share info about an amazing Youth Mental Health First Aid resource for parents and other adults who support young people.

Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have thoughts or questions on today’s topic? Write to us! We’d love to hear from you.

Media List

Big Hair Ballads (YouTube)
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (IMDB)
Most Parents Struggle to Distinguish Teen Angst from Depression (Reuters)
What’s Wrong With Our Daughter’s Mood? (MGH Clay Center)
What If My Child Has Depression? (MGH Clay Center)
What If My Child Has an Anxiety Disorder? (MGH Clay Center)
Youth Mental Health First Aid for Youth (National Council for Behavioral Health)
Lady Gaga Announces Expansion of Teen Mental Health Program (Rolling Stone)
There Aren’t Enough Mental Health Providers. And Kids Are Paying the Price. (HuffPost)
Former President Jimmy Carter recovers from surgery to relieve pressure in brain (CBS News)
The Carter Center: Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.

Episode produced by Sara Rattigan

Music by Gene Beresin

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Steven Schlozman, MD

Steven Schlozman, MD, is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS), course director of the psychopathology class for the MIT-HMS Program in Health, Sciences and Technology, and former co-director of the Clay Center for Youn...

To read full bio click here.

Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Gene Beresin, MD, MA is executive director of The MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, and a staff child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also...

To learn more about Gene, or to contact him directly, please see Our Team.