Health Lab, Michigan Medicine’s daily online publication, recently published an article about youth suicide with practical tips for families. The article featured comments from several experts at the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and the Department of Psychiatry at Michigan Medicine, including Nasuh Malas, M.D., M.P.H., MC3 Emergency Services Clinical Lead.
On May 1, 2025, the Michigan School Safety and Mental Health Commission issued a comprehensive report offering recommendations on how Michigan can best strengthen school safety and student mental health.
Nasuh Malas, M.D., M.P.H., MC3 Emergency Services Clinical Lead, served on the commission that prepared this report. “Through close engagement with organizations and programs throughout the state, as well as national benchmarking, the Commission outlined several recommendations we feel will support our youth, their mental health and well-being, and allow them to thrive in an environment that is safe, secure and nurturing,” Dr. Malas commented. “We hope these recommendations will be a launching point for ongoing efforts to promote safety in schools, supporting our educators and school staff in educating our youth, as well as addressing the ongoing crisis in youth mental health.”
Dr. Malas also was quoted in a recent TV6 article where he commented on how students across the country are dealing with mental health challenges. “So, our youth in the state of Michigan are no different,” said Dr. Malas. “They experience high levels of stress from a variety of factors and some of that stress can result in mental illness or substance use.”
View the complete report at the link below.
Emergency departments face unique challenges in providing psychiatric care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, impacting wait times and overall experience.
These unique challenges, along with recommendations for improving patient experiences, were highlighted in a recent special report published in Psychiatry Times drafted by Victor Hong, M.D., and Hannah Reynard, D.O., M.Sc., who both serve as Consulting Psychiatrists for MC3’s Emergency & Crisis Services Consultation.
Read the full publication below.
To celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, 2025, Michigan Medicine launched a powerful social media campaign featuring 18 women who empower women in their respective fields. Maria Muzik, M.D., M.Sc., Perinatal Medical Director of MC3, and Professor, U-M Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynecology, is featured in this campaign to highlight her work in women’s health and wellness.
Dr. Muzik was quoted as saying, “Supporting women’s mental and reproductive health is not just my work—it’s my mission. I believe in a world where women are empowered to thrive, free from bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. It is a privilege to mentor and lead a team advancing groundbreaking research that uplifts women and their families, and to serve the inspiring women who remind me everyday why this work really matters. Together, we can accelerate action toward equality and create a future where every woman’s voice is heard, valued, and celebrated.”
View all 18 International Women’s Day posts at Michigan Medicine’s Instagram page below.
Dr. Maria Muzik, MC3 Perinatal Medical Director, recently participated in a Michigan Medicine Mind Matters webinar on the topic of perinatal suicide.
“If you have 30 people who are pregnant or postpartum in the room, six of those will be at risk for depression, and one of them will be at risk for suicide. That’s a huge number,” said Maria Muzik, M.D., MSc. “But we also need to talk about resilience, because you can heal. There is hope, and healing is possible with help.”
View the full webinar, “Preventing suicide during pregnancy and after birth,” and read the accompanying article below.
Text or call 988 for 24/7 judgment-free support for mental health, substance use, and more. Access available for Deaf/HoH and Spanish speakers. Visit https://988lifeline.org/ to chat or learn more.
Dr. Nasuh Malas, MC3 consulting psychiatrist and Emergency Services Clinical Lead, was recently quoted in an article by the Ann Arbor Family Press, “Spotting Depression in Adolescents: Signs Every Parent Should Know.” In the article, Nasuh Malas, M.D., MPH, provides expert advice on how parents can recognize and support teens with depression.
The following article was originally published as a guest column on Bridge Michigan by Dr. Maria Muzik.
Link to the original article on Bridge Michigan’s website
On August 28, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an urgent public health advisory about a crisis that has been simmering for far too long: parental stress. As parents grapple with the demands of raising children in today’s fast-paced, high-pressure world, they are breaking under the weight of exhaustion, isolation, and mental health struggles.
As both a parent and a perinatal psychiatrist with Michigan Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry Zero to Thrive program, I see this crisis every day. The parents who come to our clinics are not just tired; they are at the breaking point and their exhaustion is not a passing phase — it’s a public health emergency. The surgeon general’s advisory makes clear: Parental stress impacts entire families and communities.
But acknowledging the problem is not enough. For Michigan families, the answer must be a renewed commitment to supporting parents — because when parents thrive, so do their children.
Decades of research show that parental stress and subsequent mental health problems can negatively impact children, leading to increased anxiety, behavioral issues, and developmental delays. But we also know that with the right support, families can thrive.
Right here in Michigan, research done in my lab has proven that targeted interventions can make a profound difference. By combining mental health care, parenting education, and peer support, interventions like Mom Power or Fraternity of Fathers (FOF) groups help parents manage stress, foster resilience, and build stronger families. This evidence-based group program, along with state funded programs like the Michigan Clinical Consultation and Care (MC3) initiative, which connects families to mental health specialists, offer a comprehensive solution to Michigan’s parental stress crisis.
However, access to group-based mental health programs like Mom Power/FOF and individual psychotherapy for parents is inconsistent. While Medicaid and some commercial health plans cover individual components of programs like Mom Power/FOF, there is no explicit requirement for comprehensive coverage of specialized programs that integrate mental health care, parenting education, and peer support. This gap in standardized coverage means many families miss out on vital services.
Additionally, coverage for mental health prevention programs varies greatly depending on the insurance plan. This variability leads to inconsistencies in parental mental health services across regions, leaving some families without the necessary resources to manage parental stress.
Michigan policymakers must take bold steps to address these challenges:
In the words of the surgeon general, “The health of our nation’s families is at stake.” This isn’t hyperbole; it’s reality. If we fail to act, the costs will be staggering — not just for individual families but for our entire society. Parents are the foundation of strong, healthy communities, and their well-being is critical to the success of future generations.
The surgeon general’s report is a wake-up call. Let’s not hit the snooze button. Together, we can create a future where every Michigan family has the opportunity to thrive.
Dr. Nasuh Malas, MC3 consulting psychiatrist and Emergency Services Clinical Lead, was recently quoted in an article by the U-M Department of Psychiatry, “Suicide prevention efforts underway at Michigan Medicine,” discussing the Zero Suicide initiative at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
“Zero Suicide offers the aspirational goal of minimizing suicide risk through comprehensive review of all care pathways, workflows and resources that interface with individuals and families at-risk, as well as provides an evidence-based and practical guide to the holistic transformation of health systems towards safer suicide care,” said Nasuh Malas, M.D., MPH.
The article also includes a 30-minute podcast by The Wrap, where Dr. Malas is joined by Dr. Corrie Ziegman from Mott.
Text or call 988 for 24/7 judgment-free support for mental health, substance use, and more. Access available for Deaf/HoH and Spanish speakers. Visit https://988lifeline.org/ to chat or learn more.
Dr. Nasuh Malas, an MC3 Consulting Psychiatrist, was quoted in The Blade article, “State of mind: Mental health remains a high priority following pandemic.”
“A lot of times with younger folks, we forget that they need to have some voice in their care,” said Dr. Nasuh Malas, director of child psychiatry at the University of Michigan. He added that such interaction improves patient engagement in treatments and lends to further customization in dealing with each person’s unique situation.
MC3 Consulting Psychiatrist, Dr. Nasuh Malas, was quoted in a Relias Media article, “Clinical Pathways Combat Mental Health Stigma in EDs.”
Standardized, evidence-based clinical pathways are an effective approach to combat stigma toward individuals with mental illness in the ED setting, reports Nasuh Malas, MD, MPH, division director and service chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at University of Michigan Health System.
“It is important for EDs to combat this stigma,” stresses Malas. “Everyone inherently has stigma and bias. Our job is not necessarily to eradicate stigma and bias, but to recognize it, and minimize its impact on care,” Malas says.
No Comments |