Children's Hospital Colorado

Primary Care Mental Health Resources

Addressing the unique needs of every child so they can be their unique selves.

Children and their parents are becoming more cognizant, and concerned, with their mental health. From standard screening tools to new trends and research, there's more for you to know about treating pediatric mental health than ever before. Learn more about identifying and addressing common mental health concerns in your patients, provided by Children's Hospital Colorado pediatric mental health experts. 

Find all articles below

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A Pediatrician’s Guide to Non-Suicidal Self-Harm in Teenagers

Primary care clinicians sometimes see signs of non-suicidal self-injury in teens. Learn how to confront it and guide teens to the help needed.

Accommodating Anxiety in Children: What Primary Care Providers Should Know

Accommodating anxiety, or helping kids avoid anxious feelings, is a natural reaction for many adults. Find out why it can actually harm kids.

Anxiety in Children

Learn about the screening process, education and treatment options available to children who may be impacted by pediatric anxiety.

Assessment and Treatment of Childhood Anxiety

For healthcare professionals seeking pediatric anxiety treatment guidelines and information about signs of anxiety in children and adolescents.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Children

Gain a better understanding of ADHD in children, including recommendations for treatments by age group and medication for children with ADHD.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

What is autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? Learn about symptoms, screening, diagnosis, treatment and resources for ASD.

Do’s and Don’ts of Addressing Mental Health with Teens During Visits with Primary Care Providers

Learn about addressing mental health during primary care visits from a teen’s point of view.

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Balancing Work and Parenting During the Pandemic

Efforts to balance work and parenting during COVID-19 has caused negative effects on parents. Learn steps parents can take to help improve their well-being.

Behavioral Health Screenings in Pediatric Practice

There are a variety of behavioral health screening tools for healthcare professionals. Learn about different ones and how to approach a behavioral health screening with patients.

Behavioral Issues in Children

It's common for young children to have behavioral issues. Here we discuss where to get help to address those issues before they become behavioral disorders.

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Celebrating LGBTQ Youth

Learn about how LGBTQ youth can develop confidence and self-respect rather than shame and fear during pride month with the help of pediatric providers.

Collaborating with Schools to Support Youth Mental Health

Youth anxiety and depression rates have doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic. Get information on how community health providers and school mental health teams can collaborate to support children’s mental health.

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Dialectic Behavior Therapy

Dialectic behavior therapy (DBT) has been adapted for youth who struggle with internalizing disorders and those troubled by thoughts of suicide and self-harm. Learn how to integrate DBT skills into wellness visits.

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Early Childhood Mental Health Screening, Prevention and Intervention

Early childhood mental health screening, prevention and intervention resources for primary care.

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Family-Based Mental Health

Primary care providers can play a key role treating youth mental health by taking a family-based approach.

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How to Deal with Stress in Children

Today’s kids and teens are stressed  which is why it’s more important than ever for primary care providers to confront the problem head-on. Here, psychologist Laura Anthony, PhD, gives her top three evidence-based tips providers can use to help families connect and decompress.

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Identifying and Treating ADHD in Children

Nearly one in 10 kids and teens in the U.S. have a diagnosis of ADHD. Left untreated, it can negatively affect school performance, peer relationships and self-esteem. Learn how to spot ADHD, asses for it and set kids and families dealing with ADHD on the course to success.

Improving Care for Postpartum Depression and Anxiety

Experts share postpartum depression treatment guidelines and clinical advice for care. Healthcare professionals can also access postpartum depression resources for patients.

Is It Picky Eating or an Eating Disorder?

For healthcare professionals seeking information about disordered eating. Find resources on the differences between picky eating and eating disorders to better support families with these concerns.

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Gaming, Kids and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Read answers to some of the top questions from parents on how to best handle screen time, computers and video games during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Children's Mental Health Awareness and Screenings

Research shows that relying on clinical judgment identifies only 30% of kids with a treatable mental health disorder. Screening can up that figure to 70%. Learn the tools.

Managing Self-Harm

The prevalence of self-harm is on the rise in youth. Healthcare professionals may need help managing self-harm patients, which is why we're sharing resources and clinical advice.

Mindfulness for Wellness

Mindfulness is a tool to improve wellness for both physical and mental health. Get information on how to teach children to take on a mindful state and improve their ability to calm and self-regulate their body.

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Levels of Psychiatric Acute Care for Pediatric Patients

Acute or intensive mental health care focuses on crisis stabilization, assessment, safety monitoring and long-term treatment planning. Learn more.

Parenting During the Holidays and the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 has brought additional stressors and feelings of sadness for families this year. Get ideas on how to help parents cope this holiday season.

Pediatric Coping Skills

For healthcare professionals seeking information about pediatric coping skills, including how to build healthy ones and which may be unhealthy.

Pediatric Eating Disorders

While eating disorder treatment can be complex, early diagnosis and intervention in primary care settings improves outcomes for these youth.

Pediatricians' Role in Bullying Intervention

Learn more about the role of pediatricians in bullying prevention, screening and resolution. Here, healthcare professionals can find tips and resources to help families navigate bullying.

Promoting Gratitude for Mental Health

Rates of pediatric anxiety and depression have doubled during the pandemic. Learn about the effects of gratitude on mental health and how to help a child with anxiety and depression.

Provider Resiliency and Managing Stress During the Holidays

The holiday season can bring a lot of stress to healthcare providers. Learn more about building provider resiliency during the most stressful time of year.

Providing Culturally-Informed Care in a Primary Care Setting

Culturally-informed care is paramount to building trust and best serving marginalized patients. Get tips that can increase access and foster positive experiences in a primary care setting.

Understanding Problematic Internet Use

The pandemic has led to increased time that youth are spending online and it’s unclear what the long-term impact will be on their mental and physical health. Learn how to routinely assess internet use habits.

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"Sesame Street" Expands Free Online Autism Resources

<em>Sesame Street</em> got on the forefront of inclusion with Julia, its 4-year-old Muppet with autism spectrum disorder. But did you know the show also offers great online resources? Better yet, they're medically validated.

School Refusal and Avoidance in Youth

When a child presents with school refusal, assessing contributing variables — such as avoidance, escape or attention — can help pediatric providers develop an appropriate treatment plan for both parents and their child. Depending on the age of the child and the progression of the school refusal, treatment can range from providing parents guidance on how to set better expectations to exploring psychiatric evaluation for the child.

School Refusal Intervention

When school refusal becomes a daily struggle, families often turn to their healthcare providers. Find clinical tips on school refusal intervention, assessment tools and identifiers of school refusal behavior.

Screening and Intervention for Pediatric Anxiety Disorders

There are numerous barriers to pursuing effective treatment for pediatric anxiety in the community, but effective screening and well-established interventions, such as cognitive behavior therapy, can help youth get the help they need.

Screening and Intervention for Youth Suicidality in Primary Care

Primary care providers can play a key role in the youth mental health crisis by implementing suicide safer practices, contributing to more effective suicide screening, intervention and prevention.

Social Determinants of Mental Health

Social determinants of health have a significant impact on physical and mental health outcomes among youth. Learn how providers can support families.

Suicidal Ideation in Pediatric Patients

Understanding suicidal ideation in pediatric patients can improve intervention. Access clinical resources, including warning signs of suicide and tips for talking to patients about suicidal thoughts.

Suicide Prevention

Suicide is the leading cause of death in Colorado for kids ages 10 to 24. Learn what providers can do to prevent suicide in kids and teens.

Suicide Prevention In The Pandemic

The rate of youth suicide spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn about youth suicide screening and counseling families to restrict means.

The Intersection of Physical and Mental Health

Primary care providers can make an impact in the youth mental health crisis by conducting earlier screening and interventions, as well as understanding the connection between somatic symptoms and mental health and how that can affect sleep.

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Talking About Racism With Kids

Learn about racism and how to help families openly have conversations about race and racism. Read more to better understand and address these social issues.

Teen Depression and Suicide: Exposing the Growing Epidemic

For healthcare professionals seeking information about the growing rate of teen depression and suicide. You'll also find clinical tips for mental health screenings and suicide prevention.

Trauma in Children and Adolescents: Understanding Trauma-Informed Care

Understand the definition of trauma, how it affects children and families and how you can use trauma-informed care to help them.

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What Youth Want Doctors to Know About Primary Care and Mental Health

Learn more about primary care practitioners' roles in mental health and how to integrate primary care and mental health in your practice from our Youth Advisory Board.

Working with LGBTQ Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Disabilities

When a child identifies as LGBTQ and has autism spectrum disorder or a developmental disability, a conversation about sexuality can be complicated.