Addressing Mental Health at Any Age: Southeast Behavioral Hospital’s new geriatric addition

Whether young or simply young at heart, taking care of mental health is more important now than ever.

The Southeast Behavioral Hospital, located at 639 Silver Springs Rd. in Cape Girardeau, opened its new, 22-bed geratric unit Oct. 18. Here, Dr. Pavan Palepu, physician and chief medical officer, answers questions regarding mental health and the hospital’s newest addition.

What inspires your work in mental health?

I think it’s an underserved aspect of medicine. For a long time, it was just pushed under the rug. I’ve seen in the last 10 to 20 years, there’s been more of a push that mental health is just as important as your general physical health. People that have better mental health are better able to fight off their chronic illnesses.

What is the difference between the Southeast Behavioral Hospital’s geriatric unit and more general mental health services?

Geriatrics is more geared towards the mature adult, so we’re dealing with more cognitive disorders and auditory processing disorders.

What are the key differences between the inpatient and intensive outpatient programs?

At the outpatient program, you get all the benefits of the inpatient program, but you get to go home to your family every night, sleep in your own bed at home and see your kids at home every night. Inpatient, it’s more of staying 24/7, so if you’re having suicidal or homicidal thoughts or something where it’s not considered safe to go home, we’ll keep you in the hospital.

What types of mental health conditions does the behavioral health hospital treat?

Pretty much any mental health — depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, bipolar, schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder, alcohol use, substance use — there’s a lot of different dignoses we can take care of there.

Do patients need a referral?

No, referrals are not required. A patient can refer themselves for a no-cost assessment, or have a family member/caregiver do this for them.

What do you believe will be the impact of having this geriatric unit?

We’ll be able to take care of these patients closer to home, so it’s easier for their families to participate, so they’re not hours away. It makes it easier for them to be treated faster and better.

As a physician, do you feel mental health is a significant concern among people who are a part of the older community?

A lot of times, they’re widowed, have lost their significant other or their kids grew older and moved away to raise a family of their own. A lot of times, they’re lonely, stuck in group homes and don’t have the same coping mechanisms they used to have. … I think there’s a lot more mental health concerns in the elderly.

There’s sometimes a stigma around mental health. What would you do to encourage people to take care of their health?

I think young adults and adolescents nowadays are more in touch with themselves and can express themselves more freely than a generation ago. I think it’s harder with mature adults, as they grew up with people not talking about feeling depressed, and they don't want to burden family. Now, it’s OK to feel and say you’re depressed or anxious.

For those with mental health concerns, what would you say is the best first step to reaching out to the Behavioral Health Hospital?

They should call the Admissions Counselor Hotline [at (573) 708-5000].