Dr. Silvia Amesty, MD, MPH, MSEd, a physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s Young Men’s Clinic talks about some of the mental health issues faced by young men in Northern Manhattan.
 

Q: Why do patients typically come into the Young Men’s Clinic?

 

A: There are multiple issues that bring young men into the clinic.  Usually they come in to treat short- term diseases or illnesses that have serious symptoms, such as back or knee pain or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).  However, we always take every appointment as an opportunity to discuss other health topics with our patients, especially mental health issues.
 

Q: What are some of the mental health issues you talk about with your patients?
 

A: Many of the young men that visit the clinic want to talk about sexual issues and STDs. But, they also talk about their relationships and family issues, the vulnerability of being out on the street, and the difficulty of finding a job.  Our patients often have a lot of anxiety and pressure in their lives, especially with the economy being so bad.  The economy has caused many of our patients to lose their jobs and has also affected many of the men’s relationships with their partners and families.
 

The stress from these issues can have major effects on a man’s physical and mental health.  Many patients have mild or moderate post-traumatic stress symptoms that can be easily overlooked by physicians.  We are fortunate to have several social workers at the Young Men’s Clinic  to work with our male patients to address these issues.  There’s a big team effort in the clinic to make sure that our patients get the help that they need with all types of health issues, including mental health.
 

Q: What are symptoms a family member or friend should look out for if they think a young man in their life might suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder?
 

A: If someone suddenly has big changes in their behavior, it is always a sign that they may need help.  A man might become short-tempered, more aggressive or more violent for reasons that would not have bothered him before.  Problems with sleep are also an important sign to look out for.  I see many young men who have trouble sleeping at night or have constant nightmares.  Usually any kind of change you can see in a young man’s behavior means that there could be other problems under the surface and that he may need talk to a doctor about.
 

I always encourage my patients to be aware of their feelings and think about exactly what’s happening when they’re getting anxious or depressed.  Being aware of those feelings sometimes helps them seek help from a doctor before things get out of hand by acting out violently or becoming seriously depressed.