Healing from Within: Mind-Body Approaches to Pediatric Anxiety and Depression

Children are increasingly prone to anxiety and depression, with the pandemic and the ubiquity of electronic devices playing roles, as pediatric integrative medicine physician Fatima Barragan, MD, explains in this presentation for primary care providers. While CBT and SSRIs are effective, they aren’t accessible or acceptable to every family. Even when in use, these standard approaches may be bolstered by a range of evidence-based complementary therapies, ranging from nutritional adjustments to sleep medicine to acupuncture. Using a case example, Barragan describes her evaluation process, how she builds trust with young patients, tips she offers parents, and treatments to lessen symptoms and improve quality of life.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the prevalence and impact of anxiety and depression in pediatric populations, including contributing biopsychosocial and environmental factors.

• Identify the key contributors to pediatric anxiety and depression from an integrative perspective.

• Use integrative medicine treatment modalities that can be easily practiced with patients.