Media Appearances
Dr. Tourjee on ABC News discussing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
Listen to Dr Tourjee on 101.7 The Bull
CNN Headline News Network with Robin Meade – Interview with Dr. Tourjee regarding coronavirus
BBC Radio Interview – BBC interviews Dr. Tourjee about coronavirus.
Episode 215 The Dr. Hikikomori Show with Dr. Stephen Tourjee
The Dr. Joe Show
Episode 27: Two physicians on breakthrough Covid-19 cases
Mass General Hospital Clinic Helps Young People Launch
Too often, young people in their late teens and early 20s face a rocky path to adulthood with challenges around big decisions. They must weigh career choices and education options while learning how to become self-sufficient and navigate healthy relationships.
This is also the age (15–24) that many mental health conditions emerge. “It’s a really important time to intervene and promote access to mental health care,” says Stephen Tourjee, MD, associate director of the Transitional Age Youth (TAY) Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Helping Young People Thrive
One of the first of its kind in the country, the TAY Clinic launched in 2014 to address the unmet mental health needs of young people. Most patients are college students or Boston area residents having a hard time with the transition to college or independent living. A number of patients suffer from “Failure to Launch” syndrome, struggling to function independently and separate appropriately from their parents.
“Even before the pandemic, this was a vulnerable population, and it’s a population that has suffered uniquely during this time,” says Yoshio Kaneko, MD, director of the TAY Clinic.
The doctors are optimistic that post-pandemic life will promote well-being. “It will allow them to access services again, socialize more and become more confident,” says Dr. Tourjee. “It’s still going to be quite the transition for them, heading into the fall. It’s not really over yet.”
Training Expands Access to Mental Health Care
In the clinic, post-graduate adult psychiatry residents evaluate patients under the close supervision of Drs. Kaneko and Tourjee. They interview patients and their parents, review treatment records, and consult with outside providers as needed before making a diagnosis and treatment plan.
“One of our goals is to broaden the pool of general psychiatrists trained to care for this specific population,” Dr. Kaneko explains, given the ongoing shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists.
Philanthropy Makes this Work Possible
Citing the tremendous demand for mental health services for this age group, Dr. Wilens says that more resources will increase access and add other clinicians like psychotherapists. The team is grateful for the ongoing commitment of the George Frederick Jewett Foundation East and other generous supporters.
Future goals include working with local colleges; developing educational programs; expanding residency training and research studies; and adding family component. Says Dr. Kaneko, “When a young adult is struggling in this way, the family as a whole is often struggling, too.”
Men, Music, and Mental Health
Thursday. December 8th, 2022
5.30PM – 7PM
UMass Boston Campus Center
Room 3545
Dr. Tourjee and colleagues give Psychiatry Grand Rounds at Boston Children’s Hospital on mental health of young/emerging adults – 2/22/23
Dr. Tourjee speaks to a men’s congregation on importance of mental health and the intersection with spirituality – 3/25/23
Dr. Tourjee interviewed in The Loop Lab podcast with Ms. Soty Levy on the role of stuffed animals and transitional objects – Aug 2023
Emerging from her quaint abode in Medford, Massachusetts, Soteary (Soti) Levy is a proud adopted Jewish Cambodian who loves to create art depending on her current passion! Kicking off her art career in anime/manga stylized at a young age, she works to develop her skill each and every day. Her artwork can be viewed better on Instagram or Twitter at the handle ‘minasouchi’ and on DeviantArt under the name ‘So-Tay’. On her temporarily abandoned Youtube channel ‘Tayrius’, she posted small animations and speedpaints of her art. Now as a part of The Loop Lab, she’s learning how to work at an industry-level standard with audio and video to become a part of a team in AV production. She can be reached at slevy@thelooplab.org.
