With over a 12 months and a half of expertise at Shepherd Pratt’s Baltimore-Washington campus in Elkridge, Chad Lennon, MD, has developed a deep understanding of the complexities of adolescent psychological well being. Adolescence is a pivotal stage, characterised by the transition from childhood to maturity, which presents distinctive challenges for each sufferers and clinicians.
Lennon emphasizes that treating adolescents requires a nuanced strategy, neither viewing them solely as youngsters who want fixed supervision nor as absolutely impartial adults. As an alternative, he focuses on addressing the fragile stability between their rising autonomy and the continued want for assist and steering. Adolescents are within the midst of a vital developmental transition, and recognizing their struggles on this section is important to efficient therapy.
Some of the alarming developments Lennon has encountered in his work is the rising suicide charges amongst African American youth, notably African American boys. Stigma surrounding psychological well being stays a big barrier, notably in communities of colour the place in search of assist is commonly perceived as an indication of weak spot. Structural obstacles, corresponding to lack of entry to psychological well being sources, monetary constraints, and geographical limitations, additional exacerbate the difficulty. Moreover, a normal lack of know-how about psychological well being contributes to misconceptions, stopping people from recognizing and addressing their struggles.
A key lesson he has discovered is the significance of recognizing the variety inside cultural teams. As an African American psychiatrist, Lennon understands firsthand that cultural identification is just not monolithic. Every particular person has distinctive experiences, values, and challenges, making it important to strategy therapy with cultural sensitivity and customized care.
Lennon believes that addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted strategy, together with training, elevated accessibility to psychological well being care, and culturally competent therapy. By acknowledging and validating the experiences of adolescents, particularly these from marginalized communities, he goals to interrupt down the obstacles that forestall them from in search of assist and guarantee they obtain the assist they want throughout this crucial stage of growth.
That is half 2 of a 3 half collection. You possibly can view half 1 right here. You possibly can view the whole interview right here.
Dr Lennon is a toddler and adolescent psychiatrist at Sheppard Pratt’s Baltimore/Washington Campus. He’s board licensed in neurology and little one and adolescent psychiatry.
