This activity explores the current state of adolescent mental health (MH) and identifies major current stressors and subpopulations at increased risk. It describes how adolescents respond to toxic stress and outlines the long-term effects that childhood trauma can have on neural pathways, physical health, emotional development, and quality of life.

Identification and early intervention for pregnant and postpartum women with substance-use disorders (SUD) are critical for optimizing maternal and neonatal health and wellbeing. The risk factors, common barriers to treatment, evidence-based practices around screening and interventions, and the framework for collaborative strategies to support pregnant and postpartum women with SUD will be discussed.

This activity will examine the mental health effects of climate change and climate-related events on individuals and provide an overview of the populations more vulnerable to these impacts, including people with mental health issues, chronic health conditions, and those of poorer social determinants of health (SDOH), which include lower socioeconomic status, decreased access to quality health care, poorer environmental conditions, and heightened levels of experienced discrimination and bias. The negative impact of climate change on health disparities and community wellbeing will also be examined. A discussion of strategies that can mitigate the negative mental health effects of climate change, support individual resilience, improve the relationships between patients and their health care professionals, and promote positive outcomes will be discussed.

In this activity, participants will explore the pandemic’s impacts on individuals’ mental health, including the increasing risks for, and prevalence of, stress, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, especially for special populations such as front-line personnel (i.e., health care professionals (HCPs), teachers and funeral directors), children and the millennial and geriatric populations. In addition, participants will review the multifaceted effects of the pandemic on the behavioral health care delivery system, specifically regarding access to care, delivery of services and digital health utilization. The implications for current and future utilization of delivery modalities, such as telehealth, behavioral health coaching and other mental health care management strategies will be discussed, taking into consideration the behavioral health care concerns that have emerged during this transitional time in response to the transforming health care landscape and the population’s evolving mental health care needs.