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April 6, 2022

APRIL PARTNER TALKS #1
Dr. Suzanne Giraudo Answers Your Questions
This Child Abuse Prevention Month, we asked our Partner Professionals to talk with us about their areas of expertise and answer questions about how to prevent abuse, neglect, and trauma by supporting children and families in building resilience.
Today we talk with Dr. Suzanne Giraudo, psychologist and Clinical Director at the Kalmonovitz Child Development Center at CPMC, as well as co-author of the book Disastershock: How to Cope with the Emotional Stress of a Major Disaster.
PIP
Welcome, Dr. Suzanne Giraudo, it's great to have you here with us! 

DR. SUZANNE GIRAUDO
It's good to be here with you, thank you.

PIP
We wonder if you can give us a general sense of the mental health landscape for children over the past couple of years before we get into more specific questions.
DR. SUZANNE GIRAUDO
Absolutely. The isolation and trauma of the pandemic has drastically impacted children's mental health. In fact, in the fall of 2020, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Children's Hospital Association and the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry declared an emergency in child and adolescent mental health. And unfortunately, this has continued for another year and a half since then.

For young children, they have had very early life experiences of the world not being a safe place. Many of them have lost family members. Nearly all of them have missed out on the socialization and stable routine that comes with school. Many of them have had to deal with unstable or even abusive home situations during this period. All of this uncertainty and instability can result in anxiety, mood swings, attention difficulties, and more for children.


PIP
That's so difficult. Can you talk a little more specifically about what kinds of issues you've seen coming up for children?
DR. SUZANNE GIRAUDO
At the Child Development Center and elsewhere, we have seen a lot of anxiety-based issues. These can manifest in many different ways, some of them physical. For some kids, it may be sleep disorders or night terrors. For others, it may be stomachaches or difficulty eating. For other kids, it may be fear of leaving a parent or caregiver's side, disinterest in being social, fear of germs, or obsessive hand washing. Other kids have a very difficult time focusing, and behave socially as if they were one or two years younger than their age.
PIP
How about for older kids? What kinds of challenges are they facing? 

DR. SUZANNE GIRAUDO
Adolescents and teenagers are also experiencing a lot of anxiety. This can manifest in some of the same ways as for younger children, but can also result in violence or threats of violence to self or others. Schools are reporting more fights breaking out as well as violence against those in authority.  Another thing to be aware of is that suicide risk increases during times of high stress. There has been a rise in young people reporting self-harm, suicidal thoughts and/or attempts. Any talk about suicide should be taken seriously, and if you are worried about your child, any weapons and ammunition should be removed from the home and medications should be secured in a locked cabinet. 

PIP
What can be done to help kids with these mental health issues? How can we protect them from anxiety and from the dangers out in the world?
DR. SUZANNE GIRAUDO
Now kids are back in school, so they are getting some semblance of normalcy, though things could always change again. Children are also very vulnerable as they return to the world, so it's important to maintain really good communication with them so that you can recognize if something is wrong. They can develop coping strategies and resilience if adults are there to support them in learning those skills. The fear may not go away, but kids can learn to better manage their fear and to tolerate uncertainty.
Parents and caregivers can check in with kids, ask them how they are feeling, give them space to talk, and set up activities to do together. Some kids need more structure to help them feel safe, or they may need more specific questions about how their anxiety affected their day. Parents can also make an appointment with their child's pediatrician or with a child psychologist to learn new ways to help children build resilience. 

PIP
Here's a question from a first grade teacher, who asks: “For my class I was wondering if you had any knowledge of a children's book that talks about how it feels in your body to have fear? One of my students is having what I believe might be a more of an anxious response than a stomach bug, and I thought it might be a good conversation for the whole class to have as several others have been starting to have increased physical aches/pains etc that I believe are real but also impacted by our brain’s response to stress.” 
DR. SUZANNE GIRAUDO
Yes, I do have a recommendation for you that may be an excellent tool for your students. I have read this book to a kindergarten class and it seemed very helpful. The book is Visiting Feelings by Lauren Rubenstein. It encourages children to treat their feelings like guests—welcome them in, get to know them, and perhaps learn why they are visiting. It also has great artwork. It is from Magination Press.
PIP
Thank you for that recommendation. What if parents and caregivers are struggling with their own anxiety and mental health issues?

DR. SUZANNE GIRAUDO
Caregivers can't be helpful to kids if they are unable to manage their own anxiety. That anxiety can easily be passed to kids. It's important to model how to react to stressful times by being mindful of your own responses. Do your best to stay calm, focus on the present, and avoid doomsday news reading. Try to look for the positive, but be aware that things are hard sometimes, and we have to learn to cope. It's how we cope with difficult things that will build the resilience needed for ourselves and for our kids.

PIP
Thank you so much, Dr. Giraudo. 

DR. SUZANNE GIRAUDO
Thank you!
“It's how we cope with difficult things that will build the resilience needed for ourselves and for our kids.”
—Dr. Suzanne Giraudo
UP NEXT!

Join us next week for our April Partner Talk with Molly Jardiniano, Safety Awareness Trainer and Parent Support Line Supervisor. Molly will talk with us about family support.

And remember to wear your blue ribbon throughout the month of April to show your support for Child Abuse Prevention Month!
WE ARE COMMITTED TO BRINGING YOU RELEVANT FOOD FOR THOUGHT TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION ON CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION TIMELY.
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