Sioux Falls experts tell parents to set boundaries on phones, watch for signs of anxiety and substance use

At a Family Forum hosted by the Sioux Falls School District 49-5 in partnership with Avera, pediatrician Dr. Sam Schimmelfinig, district health coordinator Molly Satter and Jefferson High School success coordinator Tobin Bakendal urged parents to set limits on screen time and be alert to signs of mental distress and substance use among teenagers.

"Mental health — anxiety and depression — are probably at the top of that list," said Dr. Sam Schimmelfinig, identifying mental health as the leading issue for adolescents and placing substance use from caffeine to opioids, including fentanyl, as a close second. He told parents that regular checkups help clinicians spot problems that can present as headaches or stomachaches.

The panelists described how symptoms often differ at school and at home. "Sometimes they're really good about kind of holding it together during the school day," said Molly Satter, senior coordinator of health services for the district,…