Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple

Content Warning: Today’s episode is the first in a two-part series on teen relationship violence. It may be difficult for some of our listeners.Romantic relationships are a critically important part of life for teenagers. In fact, one of the most common reasons for emotional struggles in high school and college are breakups with friends or romantic partners. We all know that breakups can be emotionally distressing for teens, but we don’t often talk about how they can also be emotionally or physically violent. Somehow, it feels easier to talk about the sadness or loneliness that can follow a breakup. But violence needs to be part of the conversation, too.Today, Gene and Khadijah welcome a very special guest, Mary Dunne, to help us start this difficult conversation. Mary’s daughter, Lauren Dunne Astley, an 18-year-old young woman who had just graduated high school, died on July 3, 2011 at the hands of her former boyfriend. She was a victim of breakup violence. Since then, through the Lauren Dunne Astley Memoria

Did you know the first telepsychiatry visits at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), conducted back in 2014, weren’t for adults, but for children? Flash forward, we never imagined how critical teletherapy and telemedicine would become – in such a short period of time – as a part of routine healthcare for all age groups and populations, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, we welcome special guest Dr. Janet Wozniak, Associate Chief of Quality and Safety for Department of Psychiatry at MGH, for a conversation about telepsychiatry. What is it? How has it been helping kids and teens? What barriers still exist for some families, and what are we doing to address them?  While virtual visits will never be the same as in-person, Dr. Wozniak talks about the gains for clinicians working with kids, like meeting other members of the family (including pets!) and getting a better sense of the home environment, which influences their day-to-day life. Pl

Today’s young people are spending more time online than previous generations, and many parents and caregivers worry about how digital media is affecting their mental, emotional, and social well-being. Strengthening media literacy skills can help us all better use media as engaged and informed consumers. But what does “media literacy” mean, and how can we help kids and teens build these skills?  On today’s episode of 'Shrinking It Down,' Dr. Michael Robb, Senior Director of Research at Common Sense Media, joins Gene and Khadijah to talk about how parents can help kids better understand the media they use, and make healthier choices about it. Plus, why the quality of screen content matters more than the amount of screen time. Tune in for more!  Thank you for joining in this conversation. If you have a question about helping kids build media literacy skills, we’d love to hear from you. Write to us! Media ListFollow along with the conversation.Michael Robb, PhD (Common Sense Med

Today is the shortest day of the year! That means the daylight only increases from here, a great boost for our brains as many kids and families move into winter break. We'll be taking a break, too, but not until after a very special episode this Wednesday.During school break, kids and teens may be turning to more digital media to fill the time - at least different forms of media than they've been using for remote learning. TV, smartphones, social media, video games, and more. So we have a very special guest to help families understand more about media literacy and mental health. Dr. Michael Robb, Senior Director of Research at Common Sense Media, joins us for a conversation on how to help even the youngest kids better understand the media they consume, and make healthier choices about it.Tune in Wednesday! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When it comes to structural racism in healthcare, commitment to change stems from the top in creating physically and emotionally healthier communities. Today, on ‘Shrinking It Down,’ special guest Joseph Betancourt, MD, MPH, Vice President and Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), joins Gene and Khadijah to help us understand how seriously MGH takes this charge.Dr. Betancourt has focused his life’s work on issues of equity and social justice, and has a long history of researching these issues and creating educational tools to improve cross-cultural interactions and increase diversity and equity in healthcare. In this episode, he talks through some of the things MGH is doing to improve hospital culture. Included in this is training to help hospital leaders, clinicians, and staff make progress in tackling implicit bias, and the need to measure and demonstrate this progress, so that training doesn’t become just another ‘check-the-box’ tool.Thank you for joining in this conve

Since the pandemic, mental health concerns have risen across the country. But in communities that were already underserved, the burden is even greater, as hardships build one on top of the other: risk for illness, food insecurity, being an essential worker, being unemployed, kids not able to go to school, fear of housing evictions, resurfacing of trauma. Chelsea, Massachusetts is one such community where family stress is at near-crisis levels.Today, on “Shrinking It Down,” Gene and Khadijah welcome special guest Mary Lyons-Hunter, PsyD, Unit Chief of Behavioral Health at the MGH Chelsea HealthCare Center. For over 22 years, Dr. Lyons-Hunter has had passion and boots on the ground in Chelsea, engaging with and learning from residents in order to best serve this richly diverse community.No time has proven more challenging than COVID-19 in responding to the community’s needs, but MGH Chelsea has made huge strides. Tune in for more on how MGH Chelsea has adapted its practices in public health outreach and clinica

When the body is injured, it begins the healing process despite the ongoing physical injury. Our minds should be no different. Right now – amidst a pandemic, economic strain, political tension, rising mental illness, and more – we are desperately in need of emotional healing, despite the many challenges ahead. But communities are divided, families are divided, and fear and anger are rampant. How do we heal from here?On today’s episode, Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins think hard about and reflect on how to begin the healing process, for ourselves and the young people in our lives. A fundamental place to start is with our relationships – those in our families, in our communities, and with ourselves. They share ideas to mentally prepare for being mindful of judgement, managing our expectations, focusing on the positive, and fostering kindness. Plus, we have two special guests coming up this podcast season. Tune in for more.Thank you for joining in this conversation. What’s helped you to begin the

Since the pandemic began, many families have spent more time together. A lot more time.More time together than we’re used to + challenging times + uncertainty about the future + none of the outlets we'd typically use to recharge = a perfect storm for rising family conflict. Conflict between siblings, conflict between kids and parents, conflict between partners or other adults at home – all relationships feel up for grabs. What can we do to help?As we launch a new season of ‘Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple,’ Dr. Gene Beresin and our new co-host, Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins, put their shrink caps on to delve into family conflict. They talk about how conflict manifests, strategies to prevent conflict, and ways to diffuse conflict and move towards resolution. Plus, Gene and Khadijah react to a high school student’s comment about conflict during quarantine. Tune in!We hope that our conversation helps you to have yours. Do you have your own story about family conflict during COVID-19, or tips that have

If you’re Black or Brown and growing up in America, it's noticeable from a very young age that something feels off. That’s because, no matter where you go, there is a layered, structural unfairness that plays out. The harmful impact of this unfairness begins to take its toll on even the youngest developing minds.On today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, special guest O’Neil Britton, MD, chief medical officer and senior vice president of Massachusetts General Hospital, joins Gene Beresin for a conversation about continued racial inequities in our society, social justice, and our duty to do better for future generations. They discuss how structural racism built in to education and healthcare systems affects kids and families, and think critically about steps we must take – individually and institutionally – to do more in moving towards an anti-racist Boston, and an anti-racist America.Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have a question or comment about racism and families? Write to us!Media ListFollow al

We've wrapped up Season 3, but we have a summer episode coming up.Next week, we welcome very special guest O'Neil Britton, MD, chief medical officer and senior vice president of Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Britton joins Gene to discuss racism's continued impact on community health and well-being, and to think critically about ways that each individuals, communities, and healthcare systems can do more and do better in moving towards an anti-racist Boston, and an anti-racist America.Stay tuned! We'll see you next week. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Many parents of kids struggling with a mental health issue have concerns – even fears – about medication as a part of treatment. Will it help? Will it hurt? What are the side effects? Today, Dr. Tim Wilens, chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, joins Gene and Ellen to talk about prescribed medications, and other substances used recreationally to ease symptoms: How they can help, how they can harm, and how to know when medication should be considered for your child or teen. Plus, a closer look at medications for treating ADHD. Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have a question or comment about medications and mental health? Write to us!Media ListTim Wilens, MD, Chief, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Massachusetts General Hospital) George Floyd: protests take place around the world (The Guardian) Today, Explained - “The Talk” (Vox) COVID-19 and Col

These past months and weeks have put tremendous stress on families across the country, on top of the daily challenges we were already navigating. And under tremendous stress, it can become even harder to regulate our emotions, leaving our kids – and even us – struggling with challenging behavior. In today’s episode, Dr. Stuart Ablon, Director of Think:Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital, joins Gene to talk through strategies to help you and your kids do the best you can right now. A huge part of this is changing our mindset to remember that challenging behavior is about skill, not will – none of us act out on purpose. Kids behave well if they can, and so do parents. Tune in for ways to focus your energy on building new coping skills for the whole family. Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have questions or comments about addressing kids' climate anxiety? Write to us!Media ListTHINK:Kids (Massachusetts General Hospital)Helping Kids with Challenging Behavior, featuring

Many kids and teens are growing more worried about climate change. Scary predictions about the future and lack of government action can make them feel the crisis is out of their control. How can parents help their kids cope with climate anxiety?On today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, Dr. Elizabeth Pinsky, a pediatrician and child psychiatrist at Mass General Hospital for Children, and mom of two young kids, joins Gene to discuss how parents can talk about climate change to kids of different ages, and ways to empower them to take action in their daily lives. Tune in for more! Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have questions or comments about helping kids with climate anxiety? Write to us!Media List Elizabeth Pinsky, MD (Massachusetts General Hospital for Children)  Working from home with kids feels unsustainable. Here’s how to ease the burden. (Vox) How One Boston Doctor And Her Family Confront Climate Change (WBUR) Mass General Remains Safe, Re

When teens leave home for college, it’s natural for both parents and young adults to adjust to new lifestyles and living apart. But many college students unexpectedly returned home due to the coronavirus pandemic, and this can pose challenges for families as they reestablish norms and expectations for living together. How can parents and young adults find the right balance between respect and independence during this time of uncertainty?  On today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director of MGH's Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Training Program and parent to a college freshman, joins Gene to discuss what this transition means for college students, and how parents can help them process their feelings and concerns. Tune in for more!  Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have questions or comments about supporting college students during this pandemic? Write to us! Media List&n

If you do an online search for the words “parenting” and “autism,” most of the results will be about parents who don’t have autism raising children who do. But what if you’re a parent on the autism spectrum, or have a partner or co-parent who is? In today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, Gene welcomes special guest Dr. Hillary Hurst Bush to share her story of growing up with a Dad with autism – both from the perspective of her younger self and her professional experience as a neuropsychologist with the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program at Mass General Hospital. Even with challenges along the way, Hillary’s dad offered unique parenting strengths that stemmed from his differences, including dependability, reliability, and loyalty. Tune in for more. Have a question for Dr. Bush, or want to share your own story about growing up with a parent on the autism spectrum? Write to us! Media List Hillary Hurst Bush, PhD (Massachusetts General Hospital) Learning and

Life as we know it has changed since our last episode. Disruptions, anxiety, and uncertainty surrounding the new coronavirus disease have affected us all. While we can’t immediately change this public health crisis – though we can do our part by staying home if we’re able! - we do have the power to change how we think about our individual situations, and help our children and teens to do the same.In today’s short episode, Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Ellen Braaten take a mental health break to check in with all of you, to check in with each other, and to brainstorm ways for us all to seek out positive aspects of the challenges we're facing, and to take things one day at a time. We’re in this together. In fact, the whole world. And we can manage this.Also, it gives us such hope to hear your stories! Please write to us at contact@mghclaycenter.org about how you’ve been managing during this time with your family.Media List7 Ways to Support Kids and Teens Through the Coronavirus Pandemic (MGH Clay Center)7 MANERAS DE

We're taking a short break, but we've got a great line up of topics and guests for the spring. A sample of what's to come:Surviving a Screw UpGrowing Up With a Parent With AutismClimate Change AnxietyAdvocating for Your Child With Learning Differences In School (a follow up to our first Facebook Live Q+A, featuring Dr. Ellen Braaten)Going Off MedicationsAll this and more. We'll see you back March 25! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Peers can be an excellent source of social support, and it’s great that more young people today talk to friends about their emotional challenges. But for every teen who shares, there’s another teen absorbing the info like an emotional sponge. And while it feels good to help a friend, it can also feel overwhelming - even scary - to be a friend's sole source of support, especially for serious issues.On today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Ellen Braaten help parents to think about the pros and cons of being an emotional sponge, ways for teens to set boundaries around what they can do on their own, and strategies to bring in others to help a friend in need, when it needs to be part of a team effort.Thanks for joining in this conversation. If you have a comment or question about being an emotional sponge, write to us!Media List Steve Martin and Chris Rock Welcome Everyone to Oscars 2020 (YouTube) Movie Review: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Co

Seasons change, and so do podcast co-hosts. Since the beginning, Shrinking It Down has been co-hosted by child psychiatrists Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Steven Schlozman. But alas, Steve is moving on to the next creative chapter in his life. It's been a long run, Steve, and a great one. Thank you for everything. We'll miss you so!Media ListIt's Time for Saying Goodbye - Muppets Take Manhattan (YouTube)The Importance of Stories for Child Mental Health (MGH Clay Center)Nature Versus Nurture (Steve's last podcast episode) (Acast)Follow Steve @zombieautopsies (Twitter)Read stuff by Steve (Amazon)Read more stuff by Steve (Psychology Today)Watch stuff with Steve (IMDB)Produced by Sara RattiganMusic by Gene Beresin See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Many parents worry that their own or a family member’s mental health disorder destine their children to struggle in the same way. But, while many psychiatric disorders do run in families to some extent, so do lots of things! Right down to food preferences and professions. So, how much do genes have to do with it? On today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, special guest Dr. Jordan Smoller, of MGH’s Center for Genomic Medicine, joins Gene and Steve to discuss how nature and nurture always work together. How much does our environment influence our lives and compete with our genes? What are the biggest protective factors against mental health issues, regardless of what we’re born with? Plus, how Sesame Street helps to support kids and families, everywhere. Tune in for more.Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have questions or comments about genes and mental health? Write to us! Media List Jordan W. Smoller, MD, ScD (Center for Genomic Medicine)&nbs