Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple

There are many emotional benefits that come from connecting over a family dinner. But with the competing demands of reality, like busy schedules, technology, and picky eaters, this simple idea isn’t always so simple. On today’s episode, Dr. Anne Fishel, executive director of The Family Dinner Project at Massachusetts General Hospital, joins Gene and Steve to discuss her new book, Eat, Laugh, Talk! From speaking with thousands of different families – including single-parent, three-generational, those with infants, those with teens – this book crowd sources the best tips that real families have found to make dinner an easier lift, along with conversation starters, games, and some great recipes. Added bonus? Dr. Fishel gives advice for keeping politics off the dinner table.Thank you for joining in this conversation! Have a family dinner story to share with us? We’d love to hear. Write to us!Media ListThe Family Dinner Project at MGHThe Unexpected and Long-Term Benefits of Family Dinner (Mass General News)Eat, La

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?” 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 incredible 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 ListBig Hair Ballads (YouTube)Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (IMDB)Most parents struggle to distinguish teen

Data suggest that Generation Z, the teens and young adults coming of age right now, feels lonelier than any other age group. But we don’t know why. Is it a symptom of digital and social media or the hyper-scheduling of their daily lives? Does it stem from anger about or hopelessness of dwindling future prospects? No one has the answers, but it’s concerning as loneliness can negatively affect both physical and mental health. In this episode of Shrinking It Down, Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Steve Schlozman look to the literature and to their child psychiatrist instincts to help parents and other adults brainstorm why this might be, and what we can do to support the young people in our lives.Thank you for joining in this conversation. Do you have ideas about why teens today are so lonely? We’d love to know. Please write to us! Media ListSolipsism (Philosophy Terms)Blue Pill or Red Pill (The Matrix)The Death of a Pet (MGH Clay Center)New Cigna Study Reveals Loneliness at Epidemic Levels in America (PR Newswire)

How can we guide children to healthfully navigate food, fitness, sleep, and more (especially when Takis® taste so much better than eggs for breakfast)? These aren’t just important for physical health but mental health, as well. The MGH Stay In Shape Program for elementary and middle school students, going on 20 years strong, is one solution that’s benefited several communities in Massachusetts. In today’s episode, special guest Ming Sun, MCHES, of MGH Community Health Associates, joins host Steve Schlozman, MD to share more about Stay In Shape – including strategies to help kids set goals around activities that will benefit their bodies and minds.Thank you for joining in this conversation. Do you have a program like this in your community? We’d love to hear about it. Write to us!Media ListNutrition and Mental Health: It’s More Complicated Than You Think (MGH Clay Center)MGH Community Health AssociatesMGH Center for Community Health Improvement (CCHI)STAY IN SHAPE Program Curriculum (MGH Community Health Assoc

If you’re a parent, you’ve likely spent time thinking about your child’s future after age 18. Whether it’s going to college, finding a job, finding an apartment – taking that first step towards independence is ultimately tied to…money! Where that money should come from is a complicated issue, and it’s not the same issue it was 20 or 30 years ago. What does this mean for both parent and child mental health? Special guest Rand Spero, CFP, MBA, EdM joins our co-director Dr. Ellen Braaten to talk about the economic realities of young adulthood today, including strategies for families to embrace.Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have a question or comment about financially supporting the young adults in your life? Write to us at contact@mghclaycenter.org.Media ListAdult children are costing many parents their retirement savings (CBS News)Price Of College Increasing Almost 8 Times Faster Than Wages (Forbes)Life Support (Rand Spero, Humble Dollar)Student Debt is Transforming the American Family (The New Yo

As the summer fades and we move into Autumn, activities in our lives start to build up and so can the stress. Perhaps this is one reason that September is national Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It’s an unsettling topic, but in our first episode of the season Gene and Steve talk about young people and suicide – not to bring folks down but to give it the time it deserves. Whether you’re trying to make sense of increasing suicide rates, practicing how to talk in detail to a young person you’re concerned about, wondering how to talk to a neighbor who has been impacted, or simply trying to be aware of the supports out there, please tune in.A special thanks to those of you who sent in your thoughts; they were helpful in planning this episode. Thank you all for joining in this conversation. If you have comments or questions, please e-mail us at contact@mghclaycenter.org. Media ListNCHS data brief: Increase in Suicide in the United States, 1999-2014 (National Center for Health Statistics)Suicide Rates Amon

We shouldn’t need science to tell us that getting together with other people is beneficial. Still, the science is pretty fascinating, and in the data-driven age in which we live, knowledge is power! In this episode, Steve and Gene dig into the biology and neuroscience beneath why connecting with others in our communities—particularly those outside of our everyday circles—not only feels great but is really important for our physical and mental health. We think it’s so important, in fact, that we have a summer challenge for you all. Tune in for more!Thank you for joining us in this conversation. Please write to us over the summer!Media ListGet Together (Video – The Youngbloods)The Benefits of Gardening for Children Will Make You Want to Start a Flower Plot With Them Right Now (Romper)Rohina Hoffman: Hair Stories PorchFest.orgCreativity Gives Our Brains a Boost (MGH Clay Center)Prosocial Behavior Mitigates the Negative Effects of Stress in Everyday Life (Clinical Psychological Science)Affiliative and prosocial m

Gene and Steve will be back next week with our last episode of the season. And we have a community challenge for you all - be sure to tune in! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

At the Clay Center, we often stress the importance of creativity for supporting healthy youth development and community relationships. So, we’re thrilled to have socially engaged multimedia artist Elisa H. Hamilton join Gene and Steve in today’s episode! Elisa is a visiting artist with the Clay Center. Since January, she’s been developing a project to help everyday families and communities become more aware of and engage with young people around issues of mental health. All of this using art as the entryway to these conversations. Tune in for more and stay tuned for the launch of her project in Fall 2019! Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have questions or ideas you’d like to share about art and mental health? Write to us at mghclaycenter@partners.org! We’d love to hear from you. Media List Creativity Gives Our Brains a Boost (MGH Clay Center) Elisa H. Hamilton, Multimedia Artist Emerson College,

Did you know Ellen enjoys boxing for self-care, and that Gene depends on daily interactions with his dog, Bear? This week is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week! What better way to celebrate than by focusing on self-care, and on building resilience in young people from the earliest ages? When we help them work self-care into their routines now, they’ll have it to fall back on as they enter adulthood.Self-care can mean different things depending on the stage of child development, family dynamics, and more. Gene and Ellen talk through it all in today’s episode. Thanks for joining in the conversation. What do you do for self-care? E-mail us!Media ListApril 2019 Saw The Most Days With Rain In Boston Since 1872 (WBUR)National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day (SAMHSA)Association Between the Release of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why and Suicide Rates in the United States: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis (Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)Investigating harmful and helpful ef

We all get distracted and disorganized. Today, it seems more than ever with digital media consuming our lives. We bet you’ve even wondered, at some point in your life, whether you might have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Heck – do we all have some form of it? Like all things in mental health, it’s complicated. Not all that’s inattentive is ADHD. In today’s episode, our co-director Dr. Ellen Braaten joins Gene to really delve into what ADHD is, what it’s not, the different ways it can present in kids, and things we can do to manage it.Thanks for joining in the conversation! If you have questions or comments about ADHD, write to us at mghclaycenter@partners.org.Media ListDriven to Distraction (Edward Hallowell, MD)Doctors in the US have less time to treat patients (Univerzita Karlova)What is ADHD? (Video – Massachusetts General Hospital for Children)How Do You Measure Executive Function Skills in Kids? (MGH Clay Center)Intro to Processing Speed (MGH Clay Center)What If My Child Has an Anxiety

Flowers are blooming. People are smiling. On the surface, it seems like spring is the sweetest season of all. And while it is rejuvenating and joyful in many ways, it’s also associated with the highest rates of psychiatric issues. Gene and Steve take a closer look at why this might be, from research to theories to their own clinical experience. They also talk about steps you can take to manage this time of year if your child or you are struggling. With the right strategies and supports, we can get through this together. Thank you for joining us in this conversation.If you have questions or comments about today’s episode, write to us at mghclaycenter@partners.org. Media ListNod to National Poetry Month: The Waste Land (T.S. Eliot)Seasonality of Suicidal Behavior (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health)Spring Suicide: An (Un)Likely Combination? (MGH Clay Center)Study: Many Anti-Inflammatories Show Antidepressant Effect (Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Learning Network)There Ar

We'll be back next week with new episodes! Dr. Gene Beresin shares a glimpse of the topics to come, including ADHD, self-care, and more. Stay tuned... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s not the most fun part of the job, but parents know they have a responsibility to discipline their kids when they do something that’s not right – stealing, hitting, staying out past curfew. But how do you make the punishment fit the crime, and help your kid to process the situation after the fact so that it doesn’t happen again? Also, why might a psychologist or psychiatrist ask a child about discipline measures at home? In this episode of Shrinking It Down, Gene and Steve put their heads together to think about discipline, punishment, and what makes sense for children and teens.Have questions or comments about this episode or another child mental health topic? Write to us at mghclaycenter@partners.org.Media List·     Happy Spring! (MGH Clay Center)·     Discipline Shouldn’t Lead to Tears (Fatherly)·     Giving a 2-Year-Olda 15-Minute Time-Out (MGH Clay Center)·     A 9-Year-Old Has No Remorse for Stealing

On today’s show, Dr. Ellen Braaten joins Gene and Steve to think deeper about our American culture that’s contributed to issues like the recent college admissions scandal, and also less extreme (and less fraudulent) measures we take to ensure our kids succeed at a level that’s well above-average. What message does it send to young people when we have expectations of true perfection and even take actions that suggest they’re not good enough to succeed on their own?We’ll discuss this and more. Write to us with your thoughts at mghclaycenter@partners.org.Media ListCVS pharmacy plans to change music played when your call is put on hold (Good Morning America)30 Fast Facts About The College Admissions Scandal (Forbes)Academic Testing Accommodations for ADHD: Do They Help? (Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal)IDEA Act (US Department of Education)Use of ‘smart drugs’ on the rise (Nature)We Can’t Talk About The College Admissions Scandal Without Discussing Mental Health (Huffington Post)High School Juni

Welcome to today’s “pot-cast”! Marijuana is on everyone’s mind, especially the parents of tweens and teens, as it becomes legal in more states – not just for medicinal use, but for recreation. We’ve learned from alcohol that teens are going to have easier access to cannabis the more state laws ease up, even when the age minimum is 21. But pot today and pot in the 70s are almost like two different drugs. And the truth is, we don’t know all the ways that it affects teen development because it hasn’t been studied for that long.So, what do we know about weed and its effects on the teen brain? Gene and Steve welcome special guest Jodi Gilman, PhD, a neuroscientist at The Center for Addiction Medicine at Mass General Hospital, to discuss. Her research focuses on the effects of alcohol and cannabis on the brains of adolescents and young adults – be sure to check out her most recent study at the top of today's media list.Media ListOne Month of Cannabis Abstinence in Adolescents is Associated With Improved Memory (Jou

* Want the visuals to go with the talk? Watch this special episode on YouTube *Why on earth are two child psychiatrists talking about the 2019 Academy Awards? It’s not just for fun, even though it’s fun, too. But, rather, because there is so much in this year’s nominated films – from Black Panther to Bohemian Rhapsody – that relates to coming of age in today’s America. We live in a time of cultural turmoil and a search to rediscover identity as a country and as individuals. Many of these films are opportunities to help us reflect on these issues, in addition to enjoying the actors, action, and great entertainment.Tune in to this special episode of Shrinking It Down as Gene and Steve discuss the Oscar-nominated films and how movies can help us to feel connected and make sense of the world.Media List@JuddApatow: "On a plane. I will be answering all of your questions..." (Twitter)Michael B Jordan Says He Went to Therapy After Filming Black Panther: It Was Tough for Me’ (People)‘BlacKkKlansman’: A Sobering Remind

Almost every parent has been there. Whether your child is age two or twenty-two, we’re all familiar with the “T” word. Out-of-control meltdowns on the way to school, embarrassing moments in the supermarket. Tantrums can feel like a nightmare. But understanding what’s going on in your toddler’s mind – in addition to what you may bring to these interactions from your own personal experience – can be a really helpful starting point in honing survival strategies.In this episode of Shrinking It Down, our co-director Ellen Braaten is joined by special guest Rebecca Schrag Hershberg, PhD, author of the new book The Tantrum Survival Guide. Tune into the show for some great advice on “tuning into your child’s mind to calm the craziness and make family fun again.”Media List·     The Tantrum Survival Guide (Rebecca Schrag Hershberg | The Guildford Press)·     Tantrums: Parenting Reset (Good Day New York, Fox5)·     How to Survive Your Child’s Epi

Intimacy. Is there anything else in the teenage brain? It’s a wonder they make it through school after adolescence hits! We’ll be honest, we didn’t know what direction this conversation would take, but it turned out a great example of how talking helps us to process some of the trickier issues in life.In this episode of Shrinking It Down, Dr. Ellen Braaten joins Gene and Steve to pick apart what goes on inside the adolescent mind, developmentally, when it comes to attraction, relationships, and delayed gratification. Don’t forget to check out our media list for this one!Media List·     Woman’s hair freezes in Iowa (YouTube)·     The Intense Power of Love on Our Kids (MGH Clay Center)·     8 Tips for Parents on the Modern Tween and Teen’s Culture of Hooking Up and Hanging Out (MGH Clay Center)·     Cognitive and attentional mechanisms in delay of gratification. (Mischel, Ebbesen, Raskoff Zeiss, 19

Did you know that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most evidence-based psychosocial treatments we have for mental health issues? Today, its use goes beyond treatment for anxiety disorders and depression to application for a wide range of challenges including psychosis, body dysmorphic disorder, ADHD, and even for coping with aspects of medical illnesses.Simply put, CBT is about giving people skills or tools to cope with challenges they’re having in their lives. And if you’re willing to put in the time, it can be incredibly effective. In this episode of Shrinking It Down, Gene and Steve are joined by special guest Susan Sprich, Ph.D., Director of the CBT Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Tune in to learn more about CBT as they discuss how it works, and what practice actually looks like, in clinical sessions and on your own.Media ListWhat Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? (MGH Clay Center)Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program (Massachusetts General Hospital | vidscrip)Maste