Ep 83. Teen Suicide, Mental Health and Grieving Patient Loss with Harvard Psychiatrist Dr. Zheala Qayyum

⚠️Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of suicide, mental health conditions and death. Listener discretion is advised. Please call or text 988 for support. A child can look okay on the outside and still be struggling.In this episode, Dr. Amna Shabbir sits down with child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Zheala Qayyum for an honest conversation about youth mental health, suicide prevention, parenting, perfectionism, and the emotional toll patient suicide can have on physicians.Dr. Qayyum shares what she is seeing on the front lines of child and adolescent psychiatry, including the growing pressure young people face from social media, academics, world events, family stress, and the constant stimulation of modern life. She explains why parents should lead with curiosity, pay attention to subtle changes, and create a home environment where difficult conversations about mental health feel safe.They also explore what happens when a physician loses a patient to suicide. Dr. Qayyum opens up about the guilt, self-doubt, and grief she experienced after losing young patients and why clinicians need support rather than silence after these losses. She also shares three important steps for physicians navigating patient suicide: acknowledge the loss, rebuild confidence, and give yourself permission to grieve.In this episode, you’ll learn:Talking about suicide does not put the idea in your child’s head. Asking directly can give them the language and safety to share what they are already thinking or feeling.Lead with curiosity instead of judgment. Saying, “I noticed something is different. What’s going on?” can open the door to a deeper conversation.Every behavior can be a form of communication. What looks like attention-seeking, avoidance, or a “mental health day” may be a child trying to express distress they do not yet know how to explain.Your job is not to protect your child from every uncomfortable experience. It is to support them as they learn how to handle stress, disappointment, anxiety, and setbacks.Physicians need space to grieve patient loss too. Losing a patient to suicide can deeply affect confidence, identity, and clinical decision-making, and clinicians should not have to navigate that grief alone.About Dr. Zheala QayyumDr. Zheala Qayyum is a child and adolescent psychiatrist based in Boston, with faculty appointments at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Yale School of Medicine. She completed fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry and consultation-liaison psychiatry, followed by a Master’s in Medical Education at Harvard Medical School.Dr. Qayyum’s scholarly work spans medical education, the impact of patient suicide on psychiatrists, autism spectrum disorders, inpatient care of early psychosis, and youth suicide risk, including firearm-related risk. Her academic and clinical interests include supervision and mentorship, as well as psycho-oncology and palliative care.In addition to her academic roles, she serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve Medical Corps. She was deployed to Afghanistan and was later mobilized in support of the COVID-19 response in New York.Connect with Dr. Zheala QayyumInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zheeque/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zheala-qayyum-md-mmsc-b950b336X: https://x.com/ZhealaQayyumAbout the HostDr. Amna Shabbir, MD, NBC-HWC, CPC is a Dual Board-Certified Physician and TEDx Speaker with advanced training in Integrative Well-being, Performance, and Leadership Development. She speaks, coaches, and consults on Workplace Wellness, Perfectionism, Sustainable Success, and the well-being of High Achievers.✅Want to explore Corporate Wellness Consulting and Fractional Well-being Officer work With Dr. Shabbir?Learn More:https://dramnashabbir.com/corporate-wellness-consulting/ Connect with Dr. Shabbir📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.amnashabbir/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amna-shabbir-md/📹 Watch Dr. Shabbir's TEDx TalkPerfectionism Has A Solution - It is Not What You Think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNIzzM4Vg3s&t=3s  🌍 Want to Book Dr. Shabbir to Speak at your event or organi