On this edition of Your Call, we continue our series on mental health by discussing the unprecedented crisis facing young people.
Even before the pandemic, suicide was the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-24. Since the pandemic, the rates of young people dealing with depression and suicide have gotten worse. Mental health emergency room visits rose dramatically during the pandemic and have remained high, particularly for girls.
How are schools, community organizations, and politicians responding?
Guests:
Dr. Sharon Hoover, Ph.D., professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, co-director of the National Center for School Mental Health, and director of the National Center for Safe Supportive Schools
Dr. Susan Wilkens, Ph.D., licensed psychologist based in San Francisco, California
Josh Godinez, board chair of the California Association of School Counselors and a counselor at Centennial High School in Corona, California
Resources:
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800.273.8255 - someone is always available to talk or chat online
The Trevor Project | For Young LGBTQ Lives - 24/7 talk, chat, or text
US Senate Committee on Finance Hearing - February 15 2022: Protecting Youth Mental Health: Part II - Identifying and Addressing Barriers to Care
KTVU: Black youth suicide rate doubles since 2014, California health department says
EdSource: Peer counseling gains popularity as California schools beef up student mental health services
The New York Times: More Teenage Girls With Eating Disorders Wound Up in the E.R. During the Pandemic
The Washington Post: ‘The stigma is winning’: Parents strain to juggle jobs and their kids’ mental health
Hopeful Futures Campaign: America’s School Mental Health Report Card
