Urgent: Who to see? Psychiatrist OR Psychologist Or Clinical Psychologist

[WorriedMom]

Hi guys,

I am new here, just signed up. I am very worried about my daughter who is 16 years old currently studying Year 11 at a selective high school doing rigorous International Baccalaureate Diploma. My daughter is experiencing persistent depressive conditions and anxiety. This week is school exams week, she already missed an exam because she is so tired (always tired) and overslept (hypersomia), so skip meals or very little appetite and she eats in the dark. She is falling behind at school especially this term all of a sudden changing subject because she failed one. so now more struggling. I took her to the GP who gave us a Mental Health Plan for Head Space. However, Head Space has long wait and cannot see my daughter at least another 6 weeks. I wish my daughter can see someone professional as soon as possible because her condition is not good and I am really worried and scared.
My question is: I am not sure if I need to take her to see a psychiatrist or a psychologist or a clinical psychologist??? Any suggestions? Can anyone can tell me the difference and what treatment plans they do? Thank you in advance.

[Sophie_M]

Hi WorriedMom,

Welcome to our forums, and I'm glad that you decided to reach out to us tonight. I can definitely understand why you would be feeling so worried about your daughter, as it sounds like a stressful situation for both of you to be in.

I am going to open this up for our community to chime in, but in the meantime I think there are a few resources you might find helpful. Beyond Blue has an article on different types of health professionals and how they can help, that you might find helpful to read in trying to decide which health professional is best. On a general level, treatment will also depend on an individual health practitioner's own expertise and personality, so a big part of it is also speaking to the person and seeing whether you feel like they might be good fit for what you need. If you have any more questions around this, you can also always call our 24/7 Support Service at 1300 22 4636, where one of our friendly counsellors can give you more information about what mental health support options are there. This ABC article on finding the right psychologist also offers some great general tips on how to find a good fit in a health professional, not just psychogists specifically.

Lastly, this might have been mentioned before, but you and your daughter should also be able to access Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800, which is a 24/7 counselling service for people aged under 25 and their carers. Although Kids Helpline generally specialises in crisis support and not ongoing work, they can also be a really great resource just for some for your daughter to talk to and get some general advice.

I hope some of this information helps, WorriedMom, and please know that we're here to do whatever we can to support you.

[blondguy]

Hello WorriedMom

I understand what you are experiencing as I have a daughter of similar age myself WM. As per what you have mentioned there is no quick fix here...(just as per my experience with anxiety/depression)

Please call our friends at the Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 .....especially as a caring mum....They can help you help your daughter WM...

your thoughts/questions are always welcome!

Paul

[geoff]

Hello WorriedMom, a very good question that many parents may also be wondering, please consider what Sopie_M and Paul have suggested.

If I could mention, one option is that either psychologist can not prescribe medication while a psychiatrist can, so whether this is an issue can help make your decision.

I've had both but preferred seeing a psychologist which I did for 20 odd years (workcover) rather than asking questions to a psychiatrist were never answered, that was a huge impact on wanting to talk with someone and try and be on the same level to the person I was wanting to open up to.

Emotions from kids growing up, before they become an adult can change, so in making a decision you will need to take this into account.

Sometimes parents find it difficult to make a choice that befits what our children actually need because it's a decision we make and not what we believe our kids will agree on and maintain any trust.

Hope to hear back from you.

Geoff.