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According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 4 million children and adolescents in this country suffer from serious mental illness.
Of children ages 9 to 17, about 21 percent have a diagnosable mental or addictive disorder that causes at least minimal impairment. HHS reports that half of all lifetime cases of mental disorders begin by age 14. The sad statistics of the reports tell us that in any given year only 20 percent of children with mental disorders are identified and receive mental health services.
Other statistics that are shocking is that suicide, which is usually preceded by depression, is the third leading cause of death in youth ages 15-24. More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung disease combined; accounting for over 4,000 deaths.
Also, about 50 percent of students age 14 and older who are living with a mental illness drop out of high school, which is the highest dropout rate of any disability group.
In Texas, survey reports further state that 29 percent of students in grades 9-12 had depressive symptoms, feeling hopeless and sad, during the 12 months before the survey. The survey also reported that 8 percent of adolescents, ages 12-17, had at least one major depressive episode during the year.
The survey went on to report that in high school students 16 percent considered attempting suicide during the 12 months before the survey; 11 percent had attempted suicide; and 3 percent of the suicide attempts led to injury, poisoning or overdose that had to be treated by a nurse of doctor.
As one who “lives in the solution” to problems, I find the above statistics abhorrent, and would wish that they not exist at all. Yet, as a professional who has spent many years working in the field of mental health, I am a realist: the statistics have been worse in the past but to some degree will always be with us.
In my more than 40 years of work in the mental health and substance abuse fields to provide crisis intervention, outpatient care, inpatient care, and prevention care and education throughout our great state, I worked with literally hundreds, if not thousands, of families experiencing mental illness and substance abuse disorders among family members.
But the most rewarding experiences of all were to provide mental health presentations in our schools, to the educators and counselors, and the students; and believe me there were many.
Besides the parents and families, it is the school that can make that most important difference in disseminating information about mental illness, providing preemptive care, and referring to treatment those in need of mental health services.
For these reasons, I was most pleased to read the article entitled “Harlingen explores youth mental health” in the Valley Morning Star on Dec. 22. The article, with its subtitle of “Officials aim to educate students, parents throughout schools,” gave me goose bumps of elation. It is so great to know that others are picking up the ball that we “old timers” have carried for so long.
It is interventions such as these that have always been markers in reducing the incidence of mental health disorders and are making a difference in adolescent mental health and mental disorders, and most especially in adolescent depressive disorders.
The mental health professionals, the school professionals, the parents and students all working together to attack the problems at the core are a wonderful thing!
As Dr. Marian Moca said in the article, “Prevention is the name of the game…to inquire about children’s problems rather than ignoring them…we also want to remove the stigma of mental illness…the good news is there is hope.”
I could not have said it better than that. Those three statements say it all. If we as citizens of our Valley, state, and nation are to make a difference we must keep those statements in mind always; prevention education, confronting the problems head on, eliminating stigma, and giving the message of hope.
We must maintain our focus on the solutions and not the problems. After all, our youth are our hope for the future.
Stay healthy, my friends.
Article source: http://www.valleymorningstar.com/life/article_67425d92-7048-11e3-a72f-0019bb30f31a.html