CHOC Children's Mental Health Update | July 2020
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Reducing Children’s Fears About Doctors’ Visits During COVID-19

Thank you Friend,

for being a champion for kids with mental illness in your community. Learn how you can help start the conversation about pediatric mental illness.

5 Tips for Reducing Children’s Fears About Doctors’ Visits During COVID-19
For children, attending doctors’ appointments may have caused anxiety and uncertainty before COVID-19. Now, a stressful situation like the pandemic can magnify pre-existing fears. If your child is struggling with anxiety related to visiting the doctor or coming to the hospital, here are tips on how you can ease their worries.

Research: Teens’ Poor Sleep Linked to Mental Health Problems
A recent study showed teens who experienced poor sleep were more likely to experience poor mental health later in life. According to one of the researchers, "What we are now seeing is that the relationship between sleep and mental health for teenagers is a two-way street. While poorer sleep habits are associated with worse mental health, we are also seeing how addressing sleep for young people with depression and anxiety can have a big impact on their wellbeing.”

A Family Reading List That Promotes Character Development
Courage, compassion and creativity help promote a child’s overall growth and success. Common Sense Media compiled their top picks for books that promote character strengths and life skills. These books portray inspiring characters and help spark family conversations.

A Video Guide to Belly Breathing
In this short video, Dr. Sabrina Stutz, CHOC psychologist, leads viewers in an easy exercise on belly breathing. Belly breathing helps lower heart rate and blood pressure, helping the mind and body to relax.

Mental Health Community Resources
CHOC serves children and teens with a wide variety of behavioral and mental health needs. We strive to be a strong and consistent voice for the improvement of children’s mental health services in California, and we are not alone. We have compiled this list of helpful resources to find additional services in the community.


This email is intended to share news and information about the need for pediatric mental health services in Orange County and CHOC’s role in meeting those needs.

This email is not intended to replace the relationship you have with a physician or another healthcare practitioner. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. This email includes links to other websites which provide additional information that is consistent with the intended purpose of the CHOC Mental Health newsletter. Linking to a non-CHOC site does not constitute an endorsement by CHOC of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the site.

    
Long Live Childhood