“We don’t ask children enough about their emotional states,” regrets Professor Richard Delorme, head of the child psychiatry department at Robert-Debré Hospital (AP-HP). Admittedly, the teenage crisis exists, but parents must trust each other. “For example, if a father or a mother perceives that their child is having suicidal thoughts, usually it’s because they’ve been thinking about it for a very long time. But he saw it as a secret, underlines the doctor. An important element of prevention is therefore not to hesitate to talk about it directly, to question your child. »
More broadly, if a young person is doing badly, he is sad, his school results are down, his behavior has changed, there are validated information sites that allow you to sort things out. Making an appointment with a healthcare professional, such as a pediatrician or a general practitioner, is the essential first step in receiving care. Thanks to this consultation, the doctor will already provide answers and solutions to the problems observed and will be able to direct – if necessary – the families to a psychologist, a psychiatrist or suitable structures:
– The medico-psychological centers (CMP) welcome children and adolescents. They are attached to a public hospital and bring together multidisciplinary teams.- The medical-psycho-pedagogical centers (CMPP) are most often managed by associations. They are also aimed at children and adolescents who can consult psychiatrists, psychologists and psychomotor therapists, sometimes also speech therapists and educational psychologists. The list of all CMPPs in France is available here: www.fdcmpp.fr
Understanding and treating depression. Find the video of the health channel PuMS on YouTube, with Professor Boris Hansel (columnist at Point), endocrinologist and nutritionist at Bichat Hospital in Paris.
– Coordination and Orientation Platforms (PCO) deal only with young children aged 0 to 6 years for whom the entourage or a doctor observes unusual developmental deviations which may be signs of a deficit disorder. attention with or without hyperactivity (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is the doctor who sends the child to the PCO on prescription. To find the nearest platform to you: https://handicap.gouv.fr/engagement-2- The national suicide prevention number 3114 can be dialed 24 hours a day to be put in touch with a healthcare professional , specifically trained in suicide prevention. A website is also available to better understand the suicidal crisis and find advice to overcome it: www.3114.fr
