Butler psychiatrist to lead adolescent and young adult services
DR. TAMMI-MARIE PHILLIP is Butler Hospital’s new chief of adolescent and young adult services. / COURTESY BUTLER HOSPITAL
PROVIDENCE – Dr. Tammi-Marie Phillip, a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist, has been appointed chief of adolescent and young adult services at Butler Hospital.
Phillip’s new position includes oversight of clinical programs for adolescents and young adults in inpatient, partial and intensive outpatient programs.
The role was formerly filled by Dr. Gerrit Van Schalkwyk.
Phillip will also lead the ongoing development of clinical services for young patients involved in the hospital’s outpatient programs.
Unsurprisingly, the pandemic along with economic uncertainty, a summer of racial injustice protests and an anxiety-inducing election cycle has negatively impacted our mental health.
The Greenville News spoke with local experts last week and they noted that demand for mental health and substance abuse services has increased in the last year anxiety, depression and addiction have increased. Mental health needs of our communities has skyrocketed, Dr. Karen Lommel, Prisma Health s chief medical officer for behavioral health, said. Both inpatient acute visits in the [emergency department] and outpatient.
Different factors have contributed to the increased stress in the past year whether its trying to work from home while your child is learning virtually, unemployment or fears of contracting COVID-19. Experts had different concerns for different groups of people, but noted elevations of mental and behavioral health challenges across the board.
How has a year of a COVID pandemic affected our mental health? greenvilleonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from greenvilleonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“Children and adolescents are experiencing a prolonged state of physical isolation from their peers, teachers, extended families, and community networks,” the authors wrote. “Duration of quarantine, fear of infection, boredom, frustration, lack of necessary supplies, lack of information, financial loss, and stigma appear to increase the risk of negative psychological outcomes.
“Social distancing and school closures may therefore increase mental health problems in children and adolescents, already at higher risk of developing mental health problems compared to adults at a time when they are also experiencing anxiety over a health threat and threats to family employment/income.”
In an email, Rhode Island Health Department spokesman Joseph Wendelken said his office has “not observed an increase in the number of suicides to date” but the proportion of emergency-department visits among Rhode Islanders age 10 to 17 “relating to suicidal thoughts and actions was approxim