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Maine Voices: COVID exacerbated our society's existing mental health crisis pressherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pressherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
There have been multiple news reports and alerts for medical professionals and parents published in the past few years about TikTok videos that challenge their viewers to take increasing doses of over-the-counter Benadryl to induce hallucinations. Benadryl is an antihistamine often used for allergy symptoms. As a pediatric ICU doctor in Maine, I have seen […]
Putting a face on domestic abuse in Maine newscentermaine.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newscentermaine.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Guest column: How we survive – suicide prevention among Maine men By Taren McGrayGuest column Share Skis, t-shirts, sunshine, and snow. Spring skiing is a Maine favorite. My brother and I relished this time of year as kids. We’d ski the backwoods hill and practice for real mountains. At age 12, he piled the snow into a sketchy jump. I was only 7, but Benjamin told me I could do it, so I did. All I needed for encouragement was his belief. Spring skiing is a time of possibilities. There’s tangible energy in the absence of icy winds and skiers relax on picnic tables instead of huddled inside. Like many Mainers, Benjamin loved Spring skiing; and like many Mainers, Benjamin struggled from depression.
Updated: 11:21 PM EST Dec 22, 2020 Terry Stackhouse Health care leaders are raising new concerns over COVID-19 and its impact on children. There is renewed concern in the medical community about an illness linked to the coronavirus which is sickening children however the chair of pediatrics for Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland says the bigger issue in Maine is tied to mental health. âThe suicide attempt rate particularly among adolescents has just skyrocketed,â said Dr. Mary Ottolini. Ottolini says at one point this year the hospital cared for four minors who attempted suicide. She says itâs a symptom of severe stress Maine families are facing due, in part, to school closures. âAlso child abuse I think because of families being so stressed and cooped up together,â Ottolini said. Maine Medical Center was not able to provide exact numbers on hospitalizations due to suicide attempts and suicidal ideation however Ottolini is confident the hospitalâs internal data demonstrates a measurable rise in youth hospitalizations related to mental health. While mental health remains a major focus, there are renewed concerns over MIS-C, an illness linked to COVID-19 which has sickened children in other states. âI would be the person on the front line taking care of this type of patient,â said Ottolini. According to the CDC, MIS-C is known to cause inflammation to the heart, lungs, kidneys and brain. The agency has recorded more than 1,200 cases across the country. The cause is unknown however the federal agency says many patients were exposed to COVID-19. In California, 152 kids have been diagnosed with the syndrome. It's reached Massachusetts where there are as many as 50 cases. Ottolini says Maine health leaders are ready and met virtually to discuss cases of the illness earlier in the year and have shared educational material for physicians statewide. âWe disseminated that across the state so that pediatricians and family medicine and emergency medicine doctors are aware that this syndrome exists,â Ottolini said. When it comes to pediatric COVID-19 cases at Maine Medical Center, data from the federal Department of Health and Human Services shows multiple weeks where there were several hospitalizations. Ottolini, however, says there have been very few serious COVID-19 cases among children. Only one pediatric patient has needed a ventilator so far. Ottolini says that the patient had underlying health conditions and has recovered. If you or someone you know are struggling with mental health, the following resources are available in Maine:Maine Statewide Crisis Hotline1-888-568-1112 (Voice) or 711 (Maine Relay)NAMI Maine Helpline1-800-464-5767 (Press 1)Intentional Peer Support Warmline1-866-771-WARM (9276) or 711 (Maine Relay)