What I’m Doing About the Youth and Adolescent Mental Health Crisis

By now, you may have read about the United States surgeon general who last week declared there to be a “devastating” youth mental health crisis. In October, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association joined forces to declare “a national emergency” in youth mental health. Truthfully, this does not come as a surprise to me.

If you are a parent, you too are likely not surprised by these announcements. The truth is, there already was a crisis looming. The pandemic just magnified the struggles our youth and adolescents are facing and brought them to the forefront. 

The rising rates of depression and anxiety have been evident in my practice for the past several years. It is not just that there are more young people struggling with mental health issues. It seems that the issues themselves are more intense and severe. Combine this with a lack of resources and availability of mental health professionals, this crisis was almost inevitable. 

Logically, the million-dollar question is what can we do to turn this ship around? Honestly, I am not sure I have the answers. The surgeon general’s report has lots of recommendations for how we can take action. You can check out the entire report and recommendations here: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-youth-mental-health-advisory.pdf.  In theory, the recommendations are great. Putting them into action is a whole different story. 

Obviously, there are large systemic issues at play here but on a personal level, here are some things that I am going to focus on at home with my kids. For reference, I have a 4th grader and a 7th grader:

• Talk more openly about my emotional world…the good and the bad
• Make sure we all find ways to get outside and have some kind of movement every day
• Try and set positive examples in all aspects of my life (work ethic, integrity, compassion, tech, health and wellness, etc.)
• Talk about my mistakes, take ownership of them, explain how I try and make amends or repairs, and what I learn from the mistakes
• Let them know when I turn to others for help and why I do it
• Help them increase their ability to identify their emotions, label them, and learn what helps them when they are feeling overwhelmed
• Find ongoing ways for them to participate in acts of service for others
• Encourage and support the positive friendships that they have in their lives

I know none of this is groundbreaking, but when thinking about my family, it feels good to have a concrete plan and be intentional about it. These are things that I have always strived for but sometimes in the hustle and bustle of our day-to-day lives, I lose sight of just how important they really are. Ultimately, the missed homework assignment or the lost water bottle are not going to be the things that shape my kids’ worlds. It is likely going to be the things on the list above that will help buffer them from the risks they face, just by being kids.

What are you doing or hope to do in your home? Leave a comment and let me know!