SZN. 3 Ep. 2/ Youth Mental Health Crisis
Youth Mental Health Crisis
By: Christine Vinci, LCPC, CCTP
In August 2021, the Central for Disease Control (CDC) declared a Mental Health Crisis emergency for youth 18 and under. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that 1 in 7 youth ages 10 to 19 years old experiences a mental disorder. That equates to 13% of the world. Anxiety and Depression are the most common diagnoses in youth. Many people believe that the pandemic greatly attributed to the youth mental health crisis, however, this was an issue longbefore COVID 19. A study by the United Hospital Fund in 2022 indicates that the youth mental health crisis started 10 years prior.
Attributes to youth mental health crisis
When thinking about what attributes to the issue, there are many factors to consider. What is being said the largest factor is social media, however, there have been many studies with mixed results of how influential social media is to mental health (Barry, 2024). Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt points out that algorithms from Smartphones draws youth away from healthy play and into dangerous, addictive thought loops. However, critics say prominent issues is the grim social landscape of school shootings, poverty, insufficient healthcare, academic pressures, global warming, and systemic racism (Barry, 2024).
An article published in Politico (Payne, 2024), discusses the perspective of mental health clinicians. In a survey of 1400 mental health professionals, majority of the results indicate that many professionals are either very dissatisfied or dissatisfied with the mental health care that is available to youth in the United States. Many cite lack of services for youth. Either not enough therapists work with youth or they are in an area where there is no access to services. Rural areas in particular struggle. As a result, many are put on waitlists, which can take weeks or months or even a year. In addition, schools are very overwhelmed. Schools often rely on the community resources that are available to them as school do not have the funding or resources to provide mental health services to their students.
There are barriers often for youth and their families to have access to mental health services. Cost and insurance are the biggest barriers. Other barriers exist including location, transportation, waitlists, lack of providers in the area, and access to technology. Due to the pandemic, many clinicians transitioned to fully online practices. As a result, there are less providers who are doing in person services, most likely indefinitely. The needs of children and adolescents require engagement, often in person. Telehealth services are more difficult for children with special needs and developmental issues, resulting in waitlists and lack of providers who see this population. Telehealth can be done for youth, however, it needs to be assessed by the provider to see goodness of fit for telehealth.
Mental health policy
When considering the issue of the youth mental health crisis, most medical and mental health professionals think that policymakers should focus on accessibility to improve services for children and teens (Payne, 2024). It is important to look at the policies available in the community, locally, and federally. It is also important to pay attention to your local and federal government and urge people in those positions to take youth mental health seriously. There has been moves within the Biden-Harris Administration. Most recently, in the 2024 State of the Union Address, President Biden acknowledges the crises that are facing youth with their mental health (Moore, 2024)
The administration has updated several federal policies in 2024:
-Since the July 2022 launch, 988 has received and routed about 8.6 million calls, texts, and chats;
-According to the U.S. Department of Education, more than $188 million has been allocated from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to support mental health and student wellness;
-Medicaid coverage was expanded to include additional mental health and substance use disorder services for youth
-The administration launched a new public education campaign to reduce stigma and encourage young people to seek help when needed.
In August 2023, the state of Illinois passed bill SB0724 forming the Illinois children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative to address the youth mental health crisis and make services accessible and reduce the wait lists and lack of providers that work with youth. Mental Health America has stated priorities they have for the 2023/2024 year that promote the importance of lived experience, advance prevention and early intervention, increase access to mental health and substance use care and supports, and ensure equity and reduce disparities.
Ways to support youth who struggles with mental health:
As important as mental health policy is and it’s role on youth mental health, it is important to support the youth in their environment.
Ways parents can support their child’s mental health:
-Check in with your child or teen.
-Listen more than you talk, and truly hear what your child is saying.
-Encourage your child to keep talking.
-Encourage your child to learn about and label their emotions, and to accept all emotions.
-Avoid blame or shame.
Signs of a mental health problem:
-Feeling very sad or withdrawn for 2 or more weeks.
-Severe mood swings.
-Shows big changes in behavior.
-Often has problems in friendships and other relationships.
-Has a sudden overwhelming fear or worry that does not match the situation.
-Seems unusually irritable.
-Displays explosive anger.
-Trouble sleeping.
-Changes their eating habits.
-Loses weight.
-Spends so much time alone that it gets in the way of doing other activities or starts hanging out with peers who are an unhealthy influence.
-Is taking new risks, like using drugs or alcohol.
-Experiences lots of stomachaches or headaches.
-Avoids school or stops doing as well as they used to in school.
If a child is showing one or more of these signs, talk with their parent right away. If it’s your child, contact their doctor, and be specific about which behaviors you, teachers and others have noticed. Getting the right treatment will help your child improve their mental health. In the meantime, talk with your child about a plan for coping and managing strong emotions to prevent a crisis.
Signs of a possible mental health crisis or suicide:
-Talks or “jokes” about death.
-Begins giving away items that they love.
-Says goodbye to friends, including on social media.
-Talks about hurting themselves or wanting to die.
-Says they feel like they’re a burden and it would be better if they were gone.
-Stops wanting to do things they used to enjoy.
-Engages in self-harm behaviors.
What to do if a child or teen shows signs of being in a mental health crisis:
-Ask them directly if they are thinking about suicide.
-Stay calm if they say they are thinking about suicide
-Contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for help. Call or text them at 988. Chat is available at 988lifeline.org/chat. You can contact the service with your child or teen or on your own to get support.
-Reduce the risk of suicide by removing pills and firearms from your home. If you can’t remove them, place them in a safe, lockbox or other secure place.
-If they are in immediate danger of harming themselves, don’t leave them alone.
-Take your child to the closest Emergency Department (ED). If you cannot safely transport your child, please call 911. Tell them you have a mental health emergency and need your child taken to the ED. You can also use your county crisis line for help with problem-solving.
Gaining a support system for youth and their families during mental health crisis is essential. Communicating with school and family members is important. When it comes to mental health,being open and honest is key and getting support is a big step.
References:
Barry, E. (2024, May 6th). A Fresh Approach to a Crisis. Retrieved from The New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/06/briefing/youth-mental-health-crisis.html
Moore, R. (2024, March 8th). Mental Health Highlights from the 2024 State of the Union.
Retrieved from www.activeminds.org: https://www.activeminds.org/blog/mental-health-
highlights-from-the-2024-state-of-the-union/
Payne, E. S. (2024, April 10th). Politico. Retrieved from www.politico.com:
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/10/youth-mental-health-crisis-survey-00151349
