Child Mental Health for Pediatric Clinicians

Send us Fan Mail Summer sports physical season is here! Before you sign that next pre-participation physical, are you asking the questions that could help prevent burnout, overuse injuries, and early sports dropout?  In this timely replay, pediatric sports medicine expert Dr. Joel Brenner shares practical, evidence-based strategies to help young athletes stay healthy—and stay in the game. Learn wh...

Send us Fan Mail Would you be surprised to learn that there has been a MAJOR INCREASE in child mental health visits in primary care?  A recent study published in JAMA Network Open found clinically significant increases in child mental health visits over a 10-year period.  While ADHD remained the most common MH concern, ANXIETY visits rose by 300% from 2014-2023.  We know that it can be challenging...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Elise Fallucco reviews five practice-changing lessons from the previous season of Child Mental Health for Pediatric Clinicians:  1 - Ask better questions  For example, use Dr. Waxmonsky’s ADHD assessment prompt, “When is the hardest time of day, and what is going on there?” to guide ADHD medication choice 2 - Look for the problem behind the problem  Ask teens about energy drin...

Send us Fan Mail Highly caffeinated energy drinks are taking the teenage world by storm! While the AAP (Peds) says that these beverages are NOT safe, a growing number of kids and teens use them.  To help us learn the latest about the health risks, join this conversation with Registered Dietitian, Roshni Patel! We talk about: What is really INSIDE these eye-catching, bright, metallic cans? Hint: po...

Send us Fan Mail Let's talk about clinician wellbeing and burnout... In this episode, Dr. Elise Fallucco shares results from the recent AMA national survey about physician and APP burnout, and then shifts to talk about the portrayal of burnout and boundaries in a scene from HBO's "The Pitt".   She shared resources to address SYSTEMIC issues that contribute to burnout - The  AMA...

Send us Fan Mail Three Clinical Pearls for Evaluating and Treating ADHD  Dr. Elise Fallucco chats with Dr. James Waxmonsky (Chair of Child Psychiatry at Penn State) about practical strategies to evaluate and treat children and teens with ADHD.  Clinical Pearl #1 - Ask Patients about their biggest Challenge and define their Goals, Set Relevant Finish Lines Dr. Waxmonsky emphasizes starting with fam...

Send us Fan Mail Does our brain adapt to stimulant medication over time, develop tolerance, so that we require higher doses to achieve the same effect? When patients tell us their stimulant doesn't seem as helpful (after working well for a while), could this be tolerance? ... or could it be something else?  To answer these questions, Dr. Elise Fallucco chats with Dr. James Waxmonsky, co-PI fo...

Send us Fan Mail Bench to Bedside: How ADHD Stimulants Really Work—Arousal and Reward, Not Attention Networks Dr. Elise Fallucco launches a new “Bench to Bedside” series and interviews Dr. Nico Dosenbach, senior author of a ground-breaking fMRI study published in CELL  that found that  stimulants do NOT significantly change the brain’s attention networks!?!?!  Instead, effects are strongest in aro...

Send us Fan Mail SSRI Switching in Pediatrics: When to Try a Third SSRI, When to Use Luvox, and Key Metabolism Pearls Dr. Elise Fallucco continues her discussion with child psychiatrist Dr. Jeffrey Strawn (University of Cincinnati; co-author of Stahl’s DePrescribing) on practical tips regarding how to stop/decrease an SSRI and switch to another SSRI (or SNRI) for pediatric anxiety.  Highlights fro...

Send us Fan Mail 3 Ways to Switch SSRIs in Kids: Direct Switch vs Taper vs Cross-Titration  Dr. Elise Fallucco continues a conversation with child psychiatrist and anxiety GURU Dr. Jeffrey Strawn about evidence-informed ways to switch SSRIs in pediatric patients when an adequate trial hasn’t led to remission.  They review 3 strategies: 1.    direct stop/start a.    Stop SSRI#1 then start SSRI#2: b...

Send us Fan Mail What is the safest, most effective way to taper or stop psychotropic meds in children and teens? Dr. Elise Fallucco kicks off a new Deprescribing series with guest Dr. Jeffrey Strawn, coauthor of Stahl’s Deprescriber’s Guide.    They discuss how  clinicians and patients “deprescribe” in real life, and what can happen when tapering off or abruptly stopping medication including:  ho...

Send us Fan Mail On Part 3 of our Series on Tech and Child Mental Health, Dr. Elise Fallucco continues her conversation with Ashley (Tech Insider, Senior Manager of Global Risk Assessment at Twitch)  about: "Screen addiction"  How to talk with kids and teens about online privacy and potential dangers like groomers and sextortion in an age-appropriate way  Go-to resources for families nav...

Send us Fan Mail How can parents set real boundaries around kids’ screen use when every app has different settings—and kids can get around them? In part two of this tech safety series, Dr. Elise Fallucco continues her conversation with tech trust-and-safety insider (and mom) Ashley, senior manager of global risk assessment at Twitch. They break down why parents need to set parental controls inside...

Send us Fan Mail Just when you thought it was safe to let kids play online... a Tech Insider shares surprising information about online/digital safety.  Dr. Fallucco chats with a seasoned professional in the trust and safety field about... How to balance the benefits of technology while minimizing RISKS like exposure to violence, cyberbullying, and grooming.  How to set up a Child Tech contract -...

Send us Fan Mail Let's kick off the new year with a NEW Mystery Case! Dr. Elise Fallucco works through the case of a 12-year-old girl with ADHD and a family history of bipolar. After starting a new stimulant medication, the patient exhibits what seems like 'super ADHD.' Could this be a medication side effect, emerging bipolar, or something else? Dr. Fallucco guides you through a det...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Elise Fallucco reviews the highlights from 2025 and the TOP THREE things she learned about Child Mental Health from 2025 podcast episodes. Celebrate surpassing 50 episodes, explore exciting new episode formats like 'mystery cases,' and gain insights from impactful discussions with parents about ADHD and anxiety in children.   Tune in for excerpts from some of the mos...

Send us Fan Mail As a recovering perfectionist, Dr. Elise Fallucco shares insights ad strategies, for combating perfectionism, especially during the holiday season.   Do YOU have some unrealistic expectations for yourself?  Do you want permission to take some pressure off so that you can enJOY the holiday season? If so, take a listen! 0:00 Letting Go of Perfect 01:02 Defining Perfectionism 02:32 A...

Send us Fan Mail Navigating Treatment for ADHD and Anxiety in Kids Ever wondered which to treat first in kids who have both ADHD and anxiety? Dr. Elise Fallucco, child psychiatrist, tackles this common dilemma in the latest episode of Child Mental Health for Pediatric Clinicians. She shares fresh insights and data, stressing the importance of starting with stimulant medication for ADHD. Dr. Elise...

Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, we dive deep into the topic of CANNABIS and its impact on the developing teen brain and MENTAL HEALTH.  Dr. Fallucco discusses the latest research on THC and CBD, revealing how modern cannabis has become significantly more potent. Learn about the risks associated with adolescent cannabis use, such as impaired prefrontal cortex development, increased anxiety risk,...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Elise Fallucco welcomes Laurina, a pediatric nurse practitioner and mom of four. Laurina shares her experience parenting her teenage daughter, Beth, who has ADHD and anxiety. The discussion covers Beth's initial symptoms, her treatment journey and the discovery of Beth's premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Laurina offers insights on tracking symptoms and treatmen...

Send us Fan Mail On this MYSTERY CASE episode of Child Mental Health for Pediatric Clinicians, Dr. Elise Fallucco dives into the case of a 12-year-old girl with ADHD whose symptoms are "on again, off again".  Join us to work through a differential diagnosis, discover the history, and most importantly learn about HOW TO HELP!   Let's unlock the mystery together! 00:00 Introduction to...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know that teen suicide attempts PEAK in October?  In this episode, we share why October is so stressful for US teens, what YOU can do in your office to identify and help teens with suicidal thoughts.  FInally, we share THREE THINGS we wish everyone knew to reduce suicide risk in teens!  00:00 Introduction and World Mental Health Day 01:07 The October Suicide Peak 02:20 Fac...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we talk about challenging child behaviors! We'll explore why these behaviors can be developmentally typical and introduce the selective attention strategy for handling them. Learn key techniques such as specific praise, time ins, and the stoplight approach to help parents manage green, yellow, and red behaviors. Additionally, discover important clinical questions t...

Send us Fan Mail What do parents wish *all* clinicians knew about raising kids with ADHD? How can we ask more effective questions to learn about how ADHD symptoms are affecting a child's life at home and at school? We answer these questions and more in Part 3 of Child Mental Health talks w/ Parents about ADHD with Ashley and Lauren! 00:00 Advice for Parents and Clinicians 01:12 Advice for Cli...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Elise Fallucco talks with parents and neurodiversity advocates Ashley and Lauren about the concept of 'masking' symptoms in ADHD. They discuss how children, especially girls, consciously or unconsciously camouflage their ADHD symptoms to fit into social norms, and the emotional toll it takes. Through personal anecdotes and reflections, Ashley and Lauren reveal how th...