The Kids are Not Alright

The news isn't good. It's also not surprising. Those of us in the youth mental health field have been seeing the struggles of teens and young adults since the pandemic began. Therapists are booked solid, grades are falling, suicide attempts (especially amongst girls and those that identify as LGBTQ+) are on the rise and death by drug overdose reached over 100,000 for the first time last year. We aren't able to provide the support that many young people need. That's just a fact.

So we need to be creative. We need think outside of the box of traditional, formal support systems. A few weeks ago, I talked about "support mapping" in this newsletter as a way to help people identify different people, places and spaces that may be supportive other than just a therapist, parent or friend. And that's where the good news comes in: schools are in a unique position to be able to provide connection and compassion that may be just what students need right now.

There are so many points of contact in a college community- from resident assistants, to cafeteria workers, to academic advisors. Each one of these people can be the support that a grieving student needs. Recently, President Biden pledged more funding for mental health awareness and services in schools because the administration understands that schools are where there are the least amount of barriers to support. Students are already there so bringing support to them make it easier to access.