NEWS

Achia Practices improve teen depression care

by Cason Benton, MD, FAAP, Medical Director, Alabama Child Health Improvement Alliance

The American Academy of Pediatrics declared a state of emergency regarding child and adolescent mental health in October 2021. With as many as 20 percent of teens diagnosed with a mental health disorder in any given year, the trend became worse based on preliminary pandemic data showing the proportion of adolescent suicide rising. Due to a severe shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists (CAP) with most Alabama counties having no CAPs, pediatricians were given a unique opportunity to promote healthy social-emotional development of children and to prevent and address their mental health and substance use conditions.

As part of the 2023 Screening Effectively & Efficiently Now (SEEN): An ACHIA Teen Mental

Wellness Quality Improvement Collaborative, 14 Alabama practices improved the following three key drivers surrounding teen depression care:

• Screening for teen depression at well-child visits for 12- to 18-year-olds
• Documenting a follow-up care plan after a positive screening
• Following up with patients within 30 days of positive screenings

“Being part of the SEEN team and witnessing the insightful questions, peer-to-peer learning, and collaboration for improved care was a wonderful experience,” said Heather Austin, PhD, UAB Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine. “As a psychologist, it is wonderful to see primary care practices working to address our mental health crisis by providing screenings, brief counseling, and effective follow-up until adolescents can reach long-term solutions for counseling as needed.”

View the Executive Summary and the Final Report for more information about how participating practices exceeded collaborative goals: https://www.achia.org/images/ACHIA_SEEN_FinalReport_PP.pdf

Join us for “A Teen Mental Health Workshop: Applying ACHIA Teen Mental Wellness Collaborative Lessons Learned to Your Practice” presented by Heather Austin, PhD, and me at the AL- AAP Spring Meeting. You will practice and improve hands-on, brief interventions to address teen mental health concerns even during a busy teen visit.

This article first appeared in the First Quarter 2024 Edition of the Alabama Pediatrician Newsletter.