Since the pandemic began, many families have spent more time together. A lot more time.

More time together than we’re used to + challenging times + uncertainty about the future + none of the outlets we'd typically use to recharge = a perfect storm for rising family conflict. Conflict between siblings, conflict between kids and parents, conflict between partners or other adults at home – all relationships feel up for grabs. What can we do to help?

As we launch a new season of ‘Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple,’ Dr. Gene Beresin and our new co-host, Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins, put their shrink caps on to delve into family conflict. They talk about how conflict manifests, strategies to prevent conflict, and ways to diffuse conflict and move towards resolution. Plus, Gene and Khadijah react to a high school student’s comment about conflict during quarantine. Tune in!

We hope that our conversation helps you to have yours. Do you have your own story about family conflict during COVID-19, or tips that have helped you to manage it? Write to us!

Media List

Follow along with the conversation.

• Khadijah Booth Watkins, MD, MPH (MGH Clay Center)
• Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Residency of Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital (Massachusetts General Hospital)
• When Your Dog Dies: Reflections on Losing Your Best Friend (MGH Clay Center)
• Fiddler on the Roof (8/10) Movie CLIP – Miracle of Miracles (1971) HD (Movieclips)
• 2020 Compare Cities Climate: New York, NY vs Boston, MA (BestPlaces)
• COVID-19 and College Students (MGH Clay Center)
• There’s been a lot of talk about protecting our kids. But parents, you need support, too. (The Boston Globe)
• Managing Challenging Behavior in Kids During Stressful Times, featuring J. Stuart Ablon, PhD (MGH Clay Center)
• Is Your Family Experiencing Greater Conflict During a Time of Self-Quarantine? (The New York Times)
• What Students Are Saying About Family Conflict In Quarantine (The New York Times)
• Pandemic 2020 Resources (The Family Dinner Project)
• You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Live) - OFFICIAL (The Rolling Stones)
• Pittsburgh Steelers defeat Cleveland Browns, move to 5-0 for just second time (ESPN)
• Five Parenting Tips for Civility and Coping With the Political Climate (MGH Clay Center)

Episode produced by Sara Rattigan

Music by Gene Beresin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re Black or Brown and growing up in America, it's noticeable from a very young age that something feels off. That’s because, no matter where you go, there is a layered, structural unfairness that plays out. The harmful impact of this unfairness begins to take its toll on even the youngest developing minds.

On today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, special guest O’Neil Britton, MD, chief medical officer and senior vice president of Massachusetts General Hospital, joins Gene Beresin for a conversation about continued racial inequities in our society, social justice, and our duty to do better for future generations. They discuss how structural racism built in to education and healthcare systems affects kids and families, and think critically about steps we must take – individually and institutionally – to do more in moving towards an anti-racist Boston, and an anti-racist America.

Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have a question or comment about racism and families? Write to us!

Media List

Follow along with the conversation.

• O’Neil Britton, MD (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
• K-12 Commissioner Says Some Schools May Continue To Use Distance Learning In The Fall (WGBH, Boston Public Radio)
• Communities of color continue to be hit hardest in most populated cities (ABC News)
• COVID-19 in Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• 11 ways race isn’t real (Vox)
• More than Tuskegee: Understanding Mistrust about Research Participation (Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved)
• How we fail black patients in pain (American Academy of Medical Colleges)
• Metro Areas With Largest African American Population (Black Demographics)
• New York City Subway Map (Metropolitan Transit Authority)
• Rapid Transit/Key Bus Routes Map (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority)
• Color Line Persists, In Sickness as In Health (The Boston Globe)
• The Binary Code of Racism | Tracey Benson | TEDxUNCCharlotte (TEDx Talks – YouTube)
• A Sociologist Examines the “White Fragility” That Prevents White Americans From Confronting Racism (The New Yorker)
• MGH Structural Equity 10-Point Plan (MGH Center for Diversity and Inclusion)
• The legacy of trauma (American Psychological Association)
• Do Kids Have a Fundamental Sense of Fairness? (Scientific American)
• How We Talked About Racism With Our Very young Kids: A Child Psychiatrist Mom’s Conversation With Her 5- and 3-Year-Old Sons (MGH Clay Center)
• Teaching Black History Beyond Slavery and Black History Month (PBS)
• Teaching for the Test or Teaching for Real Life? (MGH Clay Center)
• Ibram X. Kendi – Books
• The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription (The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration)
• Five Parenting Rules for Coping With the Current Political Climate (MGH Clay Center)
• Remembering Civil Rights Icon John Lewis (WBUR, Here & Now)
• Coronavirus and Family Mental Health (MGH Clay Center)
• The racial wealth gap (Economic Policy Institute)
• Black Homeowners Pay More Than ‘Fair Share’ in Property Taxes (PEW)

Episode produced by Sara Rattigan

Music by Gene Beresin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've wrapped up Season 3, but we have a summer episode coming up.

Next week, we welcome very special guest O'Neil Britton, MD, chief medical officer and senior vice president of Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Britton joins Gene to discuss racism's continued impact on community health and well-being, and to think critically about ways that each individuals, communities, and healthcare systems can do more and do better in moving towards an anti-racist Boston, and an anti-racist America.

Stay tuned! We'll see you next week.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many parents of kids struggling with a mental health issue have concerns – even fears – about medication as a part of treatment. Will it help? Will it hurt? What are the side effects? Today, Dr. Tim Wilens, chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, joins Gene and Ellen to talk about prescribed medications, and other substances used recreationally to ease symptoms: How they can help, how they can harm, and how to know when medication should be considered for your child or teen. Plus, a closer look at medications for treating ADHD. 

Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have a question or comment about medications and mental health? Write to us!

Media List

• Tim Wilens, MD, Chief, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Massachusetts General Hospital) 
• George Floyd: protests take place around the world (The Guardian) 
• Today, Explained - “The Talk” (Vox) 
• COVID-19 and College Students, featuring Khadijah Booth Watkins, MD 
•  (MGH Clay Center) 
• When Medicines Affect a Child’s Mind and Behavior (The New York Times) 
• Listen to “ADHD and Substance Use Disorders: How to Recongize and Manage Addiction” with Timothy Wilens, M.D. (ADDitude) 
• A Literature Review and Meta-Analysis on the Effects of ADHD Medications on Functional Outcomes (Journal of Psychiatric Research) 
• The Complicated Relationship Between Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Substance Use Disorders (Current Psychiatry Reports) 
• Further Evidence for Smoking and Substance Use Disorders in Youth with Bipolar Disorder (Journal of Clinical Psychiatry) 
• Familial Influences on Adolescent Substance Use (Psychiatric Times) 
• Q+A: Once You Have Discovered Your Teen is Using Pot, What’s the Next Step? (MGH Clay Center) 
• Recommended Alcohol Guidelines – Moderate (Social) Drinking Plan (Addictions and Recovery) 
• Drug Prevention Tips for Every Age (Partnership for Drug-Free Kids) 
• Dr. John A. Renner Jr. honored by MMS with Special Award for Excellence in Medical Service (Massachusetts Medical Society)

Episode produced by Sara Rattigan

Music by Gene Beresin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

These past months and weeks have put tremendous stress on families across the country, on top of the daily challenges we were already navigating. And under tremendous stress, it can become even harder to regulate our emotions, leaving our kids – and even us – struggling with challenging behavior. 

In today’s episode, Dr. Stuart Ablon, Director of Think:Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital, joins Gene to talk through strategies to help you and your kids do the best you can right now. A huge part of this is changing our mindset to remember that challenging behavior is about skill, not will – none of us act out on purpose. Kids behave well if they can, and so do parents. Tune in for ways to focus your energy on building new coping skills for the whole family. 

Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have questions or comments about addressing kids' climate anxiety? Write to us!

Media List

• THINK:Kids (Massachusetts General Hospital)
• Helping Kids with Challenging Behavior, featuring Stuart Ablon, PhD – Shrinking It Down (MGH Clay Center)
• Guide to Mental Health Resources for COVID-19 (Massachusetts General Hospital)
• George Floyd: What happened in the final moments of his life (BBC News)
• Calling out racism isn't political. It's our moral imperative. (The Week)
• The Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• How Racism Harms Children (Harvard Health Blog)
• Rethinking Challenging Kids - Where There's A Skill, There's A Way (TEDx Talks)
• Getting It Right: Collaborative Problem Solving for Criminal Justice (National Institute of Corrections)
• Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators Toolkit: Reducing the Use of Isolation (National Institute of Corrections)
• The Importance of Sleep for Kids' Emotional Well-being (MGH Clay Center)
• Calming Your Anxious Mind Through Rhythmic Movement (ACES Connection)
• Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In (Wikipedia)
• Collaborative Problem Solving Trainings (Think:Kids)

Episode produced by Sara Rattigan 

Episode edited by Joshua Eng

Music by Gene Beresin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many kids and teens are growing more worried about climate change. Scary predictions about the future and lack of government action can make them feel the crisis is out of their control. How can parents help their kids cope with climate anxiety?

On today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, Dr. Elizabeth Pinsky, a pediatrician and child psychiatrist at Mass General Hospital for Children, and mom of two young kids, joins Gene to discuss how parents can talk about climate change to kids of different ages, and ways to empower them to take action in their daily lives. Tune in for more! 

Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have questions or comments about helping kids with climate anxiety? Write to us!

Media List 

• Elizabeth Pinsky, MD (Massachusetts General Hospital for Children)  
• Working from home with kids feels unsustainable. Here’s how to ease the burden. (Vox) 
• How One Boston Doctor And Her Family Confront Climate Change (WBUR) 
• Mass General Remains Safe, Ready for Expectant Families During COVID-19 (MGH Obstetrics & Gynecology) 
• How does climate change affect disease? (Stanford University) 
• Carbon Emissions Are Falling, But Still Not Enough, Scientists Say (NPR) 
• Anxiety to Agency: Empowering Kids to Address Climate Change (MGH Clay Center) 
• Exclusive Poll: 80% of Young Voters Think 'Global Warming is a Major Threat to Life as We Know It' (VICE)
• Climate Change Is Scaring Kids. Here’s How to Talk to Them (The New York Times) 
• NASA Climate Kids (NASA)
• Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (YouTube) 
• Children, Climate Change, and Mental Health (The Family Dinner Project)  
• Climate Change: A Call to Action for the Psychiatric Profession (Academic Psychiatry) 
• PAW Patrol Theme Song | Nick Jr. | Music (YouTube) 

Episode produced by Sara Rattigan 

Episode edited by Joshua Eng

Music by Gene Beresin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When teens leave home for college, it’s natural for both parents and young adults to adjust to new lifestyles and living apart. But many college students unexpectedly returned home due to the coronavirus pandemic, and this can pose challenges for families as they reestablish norms and expectations for living together. How can parents and young adults find the right balance between respect and independence during this time of uncertainty?  

On today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director of MGH's Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Training Program and parent to a college freshman, joins Gene to discuss what this transition means for college students, and how parents can help them process their feelings and concerns. Tune in for more!  

Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have questions or comments about supporting college students during this pandemic? Write to us! 

Media List  

• Khadijah Watkins, MD, MPH (MGH Psychiatry Academy) 
• When Kids Leave Home: Part 1 (MGH Clay Center)  
• Tips to Help College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic (McLean’s College Mental Health Program) 
• Supporting College Students During the Covid-19 Crisis (MGH Psychiatry Academy)
• How To Help Kids Cope With Situational Anxiety (MGH Clay Center) 
• Why Are Teens So Lonely and What Can They Do to Combat Loneliness? (MGH Clay Center) 
• Self-Care in College (MGH Clay Center) 
• I’m concerned about someone who may have an alcohol or substance use problem (JED Foundation) 
• Q+A: Once You Have Discovered Your Teen is Using Pot, What’s the Next Step? (MGH Clay Center)  
• That Discomfort You’re Feeling is Grief (Harvard Business Review) 
• I Gotta Wash My Hands! (YouTube) 
• Coronavirus and Family Mental Health (MGH Clay Center) 
• Boston University Coronavirus Plan Includes Possible January 2021 Reopening (WBUR) 
• Where To Turn (MGH Clay Center)

Episode produced by Sara Rattigan

Music by Gene Beresin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you do an online search for the words “parenting” and “autism,” most of the results will be about parents who don’t have autism raising children who do. But what if you’re a parent on the autism spectrum, or have a partner or co-parent who is? In today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, Gene welcomes special guest Dr. Hillary Hurst Bush to share her story of growing up with a Dad with autism – both from the perspective of her younger self and her professional experience as a neuropsychologist with the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program at Mass General Hospital. Even with challenges along the way, Hillary’s dad offered unique parenting strengths that stemmed from his differences, including dependability, reliability, and loyalty. Tune in for more. 

Have a question for Dr. Bush, or want to share your own story about growing up with a parent on the autism spectrum? Write to us! 

Media List 

• Hillary Hurst Bush, PhD (Massachusetts General Hospital) 
• Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (Massachusetts General Hospital) 
• AsperDad: Growing Up With a Parent on the Autism Spectrum (Maybe) (MGH Clay Center) 
• What Is Autism Spectrum? (MGH Clay Center) 
• The Stone Poneys – Different Drum (YouTube) 
• A comparative study of autistic and non-autistic women’s experience of motherhood (Molecular Autism) 
• Greatest Strength: Challenges Met With Courage (YouTube) 
• A Parent’s Journey Through Autism: “I have to admit it’s getting better, a little better all the time…” (MGH Clay Center)  

Episode produced by Sara Rattigan

Music by Gene Beresin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Life as we know it has changed since our last episode. Disruptions, anxiety, and uncertainty surrounding the new coronavirus disease have affected us all. While we can’t immediately change this public health crisis – though we can do our part by staying home if we’re able! - we do have the power to change how we think about our individual situations, and help our children and teens to do the same.

In today’s short episode, Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Ellen Braaten take a mental health break to check in with all of you, to check in with each other, and to brainstorm ways for us all to seek out positive aspects of the challenges we're facing, and to take things one day at a time. We’re in this together. In fact, the whole world. And we can manage this.

Also, it gives us such hope to hear your stories! Please write to us at [email protected] about how you’ve been managing during this time with your family.

Media List

• 7 Ways to Support Kids and Teens Through the Coronavirus Pandemic (MGH Clay Center)
• 7 MANERAS DE APOYAR A NIÑOS Y ADOLESCENTES DURANTE LA PANDEMIA DEL CORONAVIRUS (MGH Clay Center)
• 帮助儿童和青少年过渡冠状病毒流行病的 7 种方法 (MGH Clay Center)
• How to Help Kids Cope With Situational Anxiety (MGH Clay Center)
• At Schools Closed for Coronavirus, Online Work Won’t Count (Wall Street Journal)
• Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource (National Association of School Psychologists)
• Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)
• Self-Care for Resilience – Resources for the Whole Family (MGH Clay Center)

Episode produced by Sara Rattigan

Music by Gene Beresin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're taking a short break, but we've got a great line up of topics and guests for the spring. A sample of what's to come:

• Surviving a Screw Up
• Growing Up With a Parent With Autism
• Climate Change Anxiety
• Advocating for Your Child With Learning Differences In School (a follow up to our first Facebook Live Q+A, featuring Dr. Ellen Braaten)
• Going Off Medications

All this and more. We'll see you back March 25!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.