This month, our founder, Dr. Mandi White-Ajmani, gave a talk about the basics of mental health disorders. We’ve all learned a bit about disorders through the media and through experiences with loved ones, but what’s supported by science? And how do we distinguish challenging-but-typical traits and behaviors from clinically concerning ones?
Mandi walked through the 3 main components of diagnosing disorders, using (1) certain traits and behaviors (2) that occur at a high intensity and/or frequency and (3) that cause impairment. She defined these concepts and how they play out in real life, and she described the certain traits and behaviors that are consistent with a few common classes of disorders, across the lifespan. Mandi additionally talked about different forms of treatment that can help, and she answered questions from participants.
Watch the recording here:
Thanks, as always, to Park Slope Parents and Premier Pediatrics for their media sponsorship!