Psychology Today: Kathleen Mackenzie (MSW’92) Helps Reduce Stigma Around Medicating Children
For many parents, medicating children can be viewed as harmful and dangerous, making them hesitant to take that step. Alum Kathleen Mackenzie (MSW’92) offers a list of six questions parents can ask themselves to help guide them through this process. While Mackenzie acknowledges the stigma and worry associated with medicating children, she offers ways that parents can ensure the safety of their children, including a reminder that medication trials are not lifelong arrangements.
Excerpt from “Should You Medicate Your Kids?” by Kathleen Mackenzie, originally posted in Psychology Today:
A comprehensive diagnostic assessment by a licensed clinician is a critical first step before considering psychiatric medication. Self-diagnosis via internet searches or discussing your child’s symptoms with someone who has a child with a mental health diagnosis may feel helpful, but is no substitute for a comprehensive diagnostic assessment. Physical imbalances, such as a sluggish thyroid (hypothyroidism) and/or nutritional deficiencies from gastrointestinal weaknesses, can often masquerade as mental illness.”