Those of us who practice in the office setting spend lots of time talking to parents and other caregivers about their child’s wellbeing. How often do we also inquire about the parent’s wellbeing and in turn offer to do something to help parents who are struggling? While we certainly want to provide resources for parents to improve their child’s health, it may be time for us also to consider providing resources to parents to get help for their own wellbeing so as not to stress their child directly or indirectly and in turn impair early brain and child development.
To help us understand this important potential role for pediatricians, Dr. Barry Zuckerman, the 2015 recipient of the Joseph W. St. Geme Jr. Leadership Award at this year’s Pediatric Academic Society Meetings held last spring, shares with us his address given upon receiving this national honor.
It is an address well worth reading as he challenges us to use our knowledge and empathy for families as a way to help parents with their mental health conditions, as well as educate them on how their stressors can often unintentionally in turn become stressors for their children. Is this fair game for us to intervene with parental health and wellness issues or should we simply hope parents see their own healthcare professional to deal with the issues they often share with us – perhaps without seeking the medical attention they need?
We are interested in your opinion of what Dr. Zuckerman challenges us to do and hope you will share your thoughts about focusing on both child and parent by responding to this blog, sending us a comment via our website or posting your input on our Facebook or Twitter pages. After reading what Dr. Zuckerman has shared, it is certainly evident why he is this year’s recipient of the St. Geme Award for leadership—and we congratulate him on this well-deserved honor.
