Pandemic’s Toll on Kids’ Mental Health with Kathleen Powderly, M.D.

Pediatrician Kathleen Powderly, M.D., noticed something alarming happening in her office in late 2020. It seemed the number of patients showing signs of depression and anxiety had jumped dramatically and she knew she needed to act. Dr. Powderly is credited with drawing attention to the mental health crisis unfolding in North Texas and sparking the idea for the Joy Campaign at Cook Children’s. We talk to Dr. Powderly about her experience treating children and teens with mental health concerns before the pandemic, and what she’s seeing now. She also shares why she is passionate about this topic, including her own personal struggles with depression and burnout. Raising Joy is part of Cook Children’s Health Care System’s Joy Campaign, a communications initiative aimed at preventing youth suicides. For more information about the Joy Campaign, visit cookchildrens.org/joy.