Managing school anxiety and refusal can be overwhelming for teens and their families. As parents, ensuring our children's mental well-being is a top priority, but the transition back to school can often seem challenging. Compass Health Center’s Silver Spring Medical Director, Dr. Marissa Leslie, recently spoke with Tom Rodgers on Fox45 Morning News about the mental health challenges students face this year. Continue reading to learn more and watch the full segment.
See excerpt below: Originally published August 26, 2024 --
BALTIMORE — First-day-of-school jitters are normal for students returning to a new school year but what should parents do if it gets more than just the butterflies in their stomach?
On a Monday edition of Fox45 Morning News, Tom Rodgers spoke with Dr. Marissa Leslie, Physician at Compass Health to talk about this year's challenges. she says the best way to detect these issues in changes in their behavior.
"When you see things changing- you see that they are normally a social person and then they are spending more time in their room, not really wanting to spend time with friends," Leslie said. "Sleep disturbance is another good sign that something is really needing more attention."
When it comes to bad outbursts that children or teens may have the best way to tackle this behavior and try to curb it in the future is face the problem with an open mindset.
"We always encourage our parents to listen without judgment," Leslie said "Foster open communication by listening without judgment."
Read the full article here.
Learn more about school anxiety and refusal treatment and how we can help here.
About Compass Health Center:
Compass Health Center provides immediate access to comprehensive, specialized mental health services, empowering individuals and families to receive the care they need when they need it. Children, adolescents, young adults, and adults are able to schedule a mental health assessment within 24 hours after the first phone call and begin treatment as soon as the next day. Our age-based approach to mental health treatment centers on three core principles: immediate access, comprehensive care, and specialization in areas such as trauma, OCD, school refusal, anxiety, depression, and co-occurring substance use and mental health.