In a Sept. 10 opinion piece in The Washington Post , HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Education Secretary Linda McMahon discussed the overmedicalization of children through mental health screenings and therapy in schools while advocating for a return of “natural sources of mental well-being: strong families, nutrition and fitness, and hope for the future.” Clinicians have since responded to the piece.
For Lynn Bufka, PhD, head of practice for the American Psychological Association, children are best served when they are given a chance to thrive and access resources. Just as children receive physical checkups, mental health checkups should not be treated any differently, she said in a letter to the editor.
In a separate letter to the editor, Matthew Solit, executive clinical director at Scottsdale. Ariz.-based LifeStance Health said children’s health involves the interplay of many factors. “As a therapist, I often share this as an especially helpful piece of guidance: ‘Never answer true or false to a multiple-choice question,’” he wrote.
Mr. Solit said elements such as nutrition, strong families and healthy children are all essential to understanding mental health. “Therapists also recognize that building resilience through participating in sports, clubs, social opportunities and a healthy home life is powerful medicine for kids. But many need more intensive treatment,” he said.
Early detection of emotional and behavioral conditions aims to help identify those at risk, provide small, supportive interventions — which are often behavioral, not medical — and prevent a crisis from occurring later in life, Dr. Bufka said.
“Screenings, including the presidential fitness test that the Trump administration reestablished this year, are not treatment,” Mr. Solit said. “They help identify families and individuals who need treatment and support. Nobody should have to discover their cholesterol is high after a heart attack. That’s why our doctors regularly order blood tests.”
Dr. Bufka added: “If we truly want all children to thrive, schools must be equipped to provide both healthy environments and the professional support kids need when they struggle. These are not competing solutions. They are complementary.”
