Sauk Prairie High School Principal Chad Harnisch addresses students on the first day of school. The district is ramping up its efforts to help students with their mental health needs. 

SAUK PRAIRIE SCHOOL DISTRICT

The statistics are troubling. A Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey found in 2021 that 18% of Wisconsin’s high school students seriously considered suicide in the past year. More than one-third of students reported being depressed. More than half of the state’s high school students report struggling with anxiety.

Sauk Prairie is not immune to these numbers. Last summer, a student at Sauk Prairie High School died by suicide, prompting the community to start a “Be Kind” campaign. The campaign was created to remind everyone to be kind to one another, as no one knows what another might be going through.

The campaign has spread regionally, and fundraising efforts have gone toward scholarship funds and local mental health resources.

Sources of Strength student groups have formed in the district as a result, in part, of the local “Be Kind” campaign. The peer-to-peer social network builds healthy norms and culture in regard to mental health. With two Sources of Strength groups in the district, one in the middle school and another in the high school, the groups empowers peers to help prevent suicide, violence, bullying and substance misuse.

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In addition to local help to stem the mental health crises students face, the federal government has recently stepped in to help those in Sauk Prairie.

This past spring the U.S. Department of Education awarded the Sauk Prairie School District a school-based mental health grant of $4,660,083 over the next five years.

The plan for the funds is to increase collaboration and coordination across mental health, healthcare and law enforcement agencies to better meet student and family needs by streamlining service delivery and eliminating redundancies.

The plan is being executed as the school year has begun. Much of the grant funding is being used to hire more health care professionals for the district.

There now will be eight school counselors, two to four social workers, and 2.6 psychologist positions to meet the needs of the students. There are also plans to have therapeutic mentors and clinical therapists.

Sauk Prairie School District’s cross agency team aims to provide wraparound mental health care to students. Clockwise from left are Travis Hilliard, Philip Denis, Kristin Hinze, Stephanie Tarnutzer and Vanessa Thornsen.  

SAUK PRAIRIE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Additionally, Travis Hilliard was recently hired as the cross-agency mental health coordinator for the district. Hilliard is now the district’s point person for a team collaborating with local agencies and organizations. Among the organizations he’ll be working with are Sauk Prairie Healthcare, Sauk Prairie Police Department, Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin Department of Children’s Mental Health and Wisconsin Office of School Safety.

The priorities of the cross-agency team are to promote students’ academic, emotional and social successes through a student-centered mind frame by providing a wealth of services including crisis support, and connecting families to community resources.

These resources don’t have to be mental health specific. The district recognizes there are a myriad of factors that can contribute to mental health decline in students, including homelessness, food insecurity and unstable home environments.

The district also has been collecting its own data to better meet the needs of its students. Last year, fourth- through twelfth-graders had mental health screenings. Families were notified of the screenings. The information collected could highlight individuals or groups possibly facing more difficult mental health challenges. The district will coordinate further support based on the findings.

The district’s new cross-agency team has set up a referral system. Anyone with concerns about a student’s mental health can anonymously refer the student to the team. Peers, family members, friends and community members can refer a student. Referrals can be made by calling 608-643-5683. Referrals can also be made online at saukprairieschools.org/page/mental-health-resources.

For students and families needing additional mental health care, the district has partnered with Care Solace, a national mental health care coordination service for K-12 school districts, higher education institutions, municipalities and employers.

Care Solace is available 24 hours a day at 888-515-0595.

For emergency services, call 911 for local first responders.

The National Suicide Hotline is 988.

GALLERY – Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk Prairie High School agricultural science teacher and FFA advisor Troy Talford addresses the crowd at the new greenhouse opening ceremony.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Cole Hicken thanked the crowd for their remembrance of his late father as part of his speech during the celebration of the greenhouse named after Jeff Hicken.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk Prairie School District superintendent Jeff Wright and SPHS secretary Marcia Colby participated in the ribbon cutting.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center

Sauk City and Prairie du Sac residents, the late Jeff Hicken’s family, Sauk Prairie High School officials, and others gathered on May 6 for the opening ceremony of Jeff Hicken Horticultural Learning Center, a new greenhouse at Sauk Prairie High School.

JOHN GITTINGS, News Republic

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Your Mindful Brain

Most of us know what is meant by the term mindfulness. The common understanding is that one’s focus is on the here and now, on what is present moment by moment. And, if you’ve ever tried mindful meditation, then you know the basics of the technique used to create a state of mindfulness, and likely you also know how hard it is to actually accomplish it. When someone talks about the practice of mediation, they seriously mean the word practice. It takes repeated practice with maintaining the focus on your attention on the here and now to be able to do it for more than just a moment or two.

Schematic illustration of the components of the dorsal (blue) and ventral (orange) attention system in the human brain.

Source: Simone Vossel, Joy J. Geng, Gereon R. Fink / CC BY 3.0 / Via Wikimedia Commons

Our minds are busy, and we are assailed with information coming in from our senses, begging to be processed by the brain, all the time. When you practice mindfulness, you practice sustaining your attention on just one aspect of the world around you, usually on your breath. In and out, slow and steady, repeatedly returning to monitoring your breath whenever your mind is distracted by other things going on. You repeatedly return your attention to just that one object, the breath. This repeated practice of focusing and re-focusing attention may be at the root of the benefits of mindful meditation.

The Benefits of Mindfulness

There are many rewards to mindful meditation. Your ability to sustain your attention improves, selective attention is improved, and executive control (being able to decide what to focus on) over what you are paying attention to improves, as does working memory (Spagna, Mackie, and Fan, 2015). Anxiety is decreased, sleep is improved, blood pressure is lowered and even our ability to cope with chronic pain is improved (National Institute of Health, 2021). New research has also linked mindfulness meditation practice to changes in the way that the brain processes information, which may help prevent the cognitive decline that can come with aging.

A group of researchers in Australia and Germany was interested in exploring how learning to control one’s attention through mindfulness meditation practice affected the way information is processed by the brain. And, because our ability to use our cognitive systems can be affected by aging, researchers (Isbel, Weber, Lagopoulos, Stefanidis, Anderson, and Summers, 2020) recruited a large group of older adults as participants to study the effects of attention training on cognition.

One group of participants received eight weeks of daily mindfulness meditation training. Another group received other, non-mindfulness-based training on focusing attention, playing a series of computer games for the same time period. At the end of the training period, both groups underwent what is known as an Event-Related Potential or ERP brain scan.

ERP Scans and Bottom-Up Processing

Visual evoked potentials with P300 wave

Wojder, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

When you have an ERP you are first presented with a sensory stimulus that evokes a response from a sensory system, letting the brain know what happened out there in the world. Isbel and colleagues, recorded a visual ERP using a flash of light as their stimulus. As the visual system responds to that event, electrodes record a series of waves that peak at different times after the event. The latency (the time to the peak) of the recorded waves lets researchers know what part of the system is responding. The longer the latency, the farther up the system the cells responding are located. This is known as “bottom-up” processing; starting with a sensory receptor (the eyes) information is sent up to the central processing areas of the brain so that what happened can be determined.

Each wave is labeled according to how long, in milliseconds, after the event the wave peaked. N70 waves peak about 70 milliseconds after the event and wave P300 takes 300 milliseconds to peak. The later waves (P300) are interpreted as indicating the brain evaluating and categorizing the event.

Then, the participants were asked to continue either meditation practice or playing the games on the computer at home, not in the lab, for an additional six months. At the end of that six-month period of time, the ERPs were again collected.

Does Training Work?

The first ERPs recorded after eight weeks of training showed no changes in either group. However, after six months, the participants in the mindfulness-based meditation group showed significant improvements in performance on a sustained attention task, as well as changes in the ERP that indicated enhanced sensory processing by cells in the parietal-temporal regions of the brain. These changes were not seen in the computer-game training group. Interestingly, the participants trained in mindfulness meditation were significantly more likely to maintain their practice at home, on their own, than were the game-playing participants.

Isbel and colleagues concluded that repeated practice with mindfully pulling attention away from a distraction and back to a single focus, not only “enhanced efficiency within this bottom-up visual pathway” but might also be improving the physical connections in the brain, making the brain better able to efficiently process information.

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Thriveworks Baltimore speaks on Juneteenth and the importance of focusing on Black mental health

Xiomara Arrieta speaks on the importance of Juneteenth and Black mental health

Updated: 6:05 PM EDT Jun 17, 2023

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JUNETEENTH HONORING THE DAY ENSLAVED PEOPLE IN THE US LEARNED OF THEIR FREEDOM. IT’S A DAY TO RECOGNIZE THE TRIUMPHS OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND OPEN UP ABOUT STRUGGLES STILL FACE TODAY, INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IMPACTING BLACK COMMUNITIES. JOINING US LIVE THIS MORNING WITH MORE IS SAMARA ARRIETA, A LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER WITH THRIVE WORKS BALTIMORE. GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR BEING HERE WITH US THIS MORNING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. OF COURSE. WELL, JUNETEENTH IS CELEBRATED BECAUSE OF THE LEGAL FREEDOM SLAVES WERE GIVEN, BUT WE KNOW THAT THE BONDAGE OF SLAVERY AND ITS IMPACT REMAINED LONG AFTER AND HAVE HAD GENERATIONS LONG REPERCUSSIONS. HOW IS THIS STILL IMPACTING MENTAL HEALTH TODAY? I WOULD SAY A LOT OF PEOPLE OF COLOR REALLY FEEL AS IF THEY ARE NOT REPRESENTED WITH THERAPISTS. SO, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE A LOT MORE PEOPLE IN THE PROFESSION THAT REPRESENT, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY AFRICAN AMERICAN PEOPLE, BUT BROWN PEOPLE IN GENERAL REPRESENTING ASIAN MATTERS. I THINK IT HELPS PEOPLE FEEL AS IF YOU REALLY UNDERSTAND MY STORY. I THINK PEOPLE WILL, YOU KNOW, FEEL THERE’S A DIFFERENCE IN LIVING MY STORY AND, YOU KNOW, LEARNING ABOUT MY STORY. AND THAT’S A GOOD POINT TO MAKE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE’S ALWAYS TRADITION. BEEN SOME HESITATION IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY ABOUT SEEKING THERAPY. BUT I THINK IT’S BECOMING MORE COMMON NOW THAT PEOPLE ARE SEEKING OUT THAT HELP. AND TO SEEK OUT THAT HELP WITH SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE YOU CAN BE REALLY IMPORTANT. ABSOLUTELY. REPRESENTATION MATTERS ALWAYS. NOT ONLY TO OUR COMMUNITY, BUT TO OTHER PEOPLE SEEING US COMING, WORKING, HELPING NOT ONLY OUR PEOPLE, BUT THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE STRUGGLES THAT WE WOULD EVEN BRING TO THOSE PROFESSIONALS, WHAT ARE SOME THAT YOU STILL THINK ARE THE MOST PROMINENT RIGHT NOW THAT WE FACE? I HEAR A LOT OF ISSUES, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO DO WITH COMMUNITY. SO POVERTY, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF SOCIAL ISSUES MEANS TO ACCESS TO JOBS WHERE PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY’RE COMPENSATED. CHILD CARE, HEALTH CARE IN GENERAL, I THINK IS, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE BIG DIVIDES IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO IN OUR COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, THERE’S BEEN A KEEP ON KEEPING ON TYPE OF HISTORY FOR SURVIVAL PURPOSES. BUT HOW DO WE ATTACK THESE ISSUES THAT WE FACE WHILE STILL STAYING MENTALLY HEALTHY? YOU KNOW, ONE THING I LOVE TO TELL MY CLIENTS IS I’M LIKE, WE GET CARE. YOU KNOW, FOR SO LONG, PEOPLE MARCHED IN THE STREET FOR FREEDOM, FOR ACCESS. AND I’M LIKE, NOW WE GET IT. SO YOU KNOW, WHAT’S UP? LET’S GO GET IT. YOU KNOW, THERE’S NO STIGMA, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS WHAT I TELL PEOPLE. THIS IS A JUDGMENT FREE ZONE. YOU KNOW, WE’RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT WE KNOW CAN BE DIFFICULT, RIGHT? BUT WE’RE HERE TO DO IT TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER. ABSOLUTELY. AND, YOU KNOW, OPENING UP AND HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BEING SUPPORTIVE OF EACH OTHER, REALLY ENCOURAGED EACH OTHER TO SEEK OUT HELP WHEN WE NEED IT. BEING A LISTENING EAR. WHAT ARE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF ONE ANOTHER, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE’RE GOING THROUGH IT? YOU KNOW, I KNOW IN OUR COMMUNITY IT’S FUN. SOMETIMES IN JEST WILL BE RIB OR WE TELL JOKES AND THINGS, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY’S REALLY EXPRESSING SOMETHING TO YOU, YOU KNOW, JUST LENDING THE EAR, YOU KNOW, NORMALIZING IT, YOU KNOW, HEY, I’VE BEEN THROUGH THAT, TOO. OR, YOU KNOW, I CAN HEAR THAT THAT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT. YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE TELLS YOU THAT THEY’VE SOUGHT OUT CARE, BEING SUPPORTIVE, NOT BEING JUDGMENTAL, YOU KNOW, SAYING, OH, I APPRECIATE YOU TELLING ME THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT JUST NORMALIZING IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT I TELL PEOPLE, IF YOU’RE SICK AND YOU HAVE A COLD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU GO TO THE DOCTOR, NO ONE BLINKS. SO IF YOU’RE FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE, SAD OR ANXIOUS AND YOU COME INTO A THERAPIST, WHAT’S THE BI

Thriveworks Baltimore speaks on Juneteenth and the importance of focusing on Black mental health

Xiomara Arrieta speaks on the importance of Juneteenth and Black mental health

Updated: 6:05 PM EDT Jun 17, 2023

Xiomara Arrieta, a licensed clinical social worker with Thriveworks Baltimore, speaks on Juneteenth and why it is so important to focus on Black mental health.

BALTIMORE —

Xiomara Arrieta, a licensed clinical social worker with Thriveworks Baltimore, speaks on Juneteenth and why it is so important to focus on Black mental health.

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Jesse Cook

Credit: Linkedin

The rigors of balancing academics and athletics can be daunting for student-athletes, both from a sleep and a mental health perspective.1

Early morning practices, the pressure of playing major college athletics, and the dedication needed to balance both academics and athletics leads to high rates of depression, anxiety, and various sleep conditions.

In new research presented during the annual SLEEP 2023 in Indianapolis, investigators explored how circadian preferences might impact the prevalence of both sleep disorder and psychiatric conditions for student-athletes.

A team, led by Jesse Cook, University of Wisconsin-Madison, assessed the influence of circadian preference on sleep, depression, and anxiety on student-athletes based in Canada.

Because of the demands, both academically and athletically of being a student athlete, they are at an increased risk of both sleep and mental health issues.

The circadian preference is an individuals preferred timing for sleep and wake activity. This is conceived as a continuum between the extremes of morningness and eveningness and has shown to influence both sleep and mental health.

Greater eveningness preference is mostly associated with worse outcomes, but these relationships have not been explored much in student-athletes.

In the study, the investigators examined data identified through the academic semester from Canadian institutions, with student-athletes completing the Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ), which captured sleep health characteristics, as well as the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).

The options in the ASSQ for circadian preference were Definitely-Morning, Morning, Evening, or Definitely-Evening. Each response was coded on a 0-3 scale.

The investigators used estimated associations for circadian preferences with sleep, depression, and anxiety, which were adjusted regressions controlled for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and sport type.

The study included 559 student athletes from 8 different sports with an average age of 18.9 years.

The results show 1.4% of participants reported Definitely-Morning circadian preferences, compared to 27% reporting Morning, 41.8% reporting Evening, and 19.8% reporting Definitely-Evening.

Moreover, this equated to a preference for eveningness was significantly associated with worse overall sleep difficulties (P adjusted <0.0001). This was also true for longer sleep latency (P adjusted <0.0001), reduced sleep satisfaction (P adjusted <0.0001), more prolonged sleep inertia (P adjusted <0.0001), more daytime naps (P adjusted = 0.01), and more severe depressive symptomatology (P adjusted = 0.0006).

“Greater eveningness in a sample of Canadian student-athletes associated with worse sleep and psychological characteristics, including overall sleep difficulty, sleep latency, sleep satisfaction, sleep inertia, daytime napping, and depressive symptom severity,” the authors wrote. “The results of this study provide compelling evidence that eveningness CP may predict poor mental and sleep health outcomes in student-athletes.”

The study highlights a growing need for more research into circadian preferences, particularly for student student-athletes.

The investigators also said the results could be used to implement modifications to training schedules and team routines changes as preventative strategies for mental and sleep health problems.

Jesse Cook and others, 0016 Influence of Circadian Preference on Sleep, Depression, and Anxiety in Canadian Student-Athletes, Sleep, Volume 46, Issue Supplement_1, May 2023, Pages A7–A8, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsad077.0016

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Here are some reasons why focusing on teenagers’ mental health is more important than ever:

1. Growing Mental Health Concerns: There is a growing concern about mental health issues among teenagers. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 20% of teenagers have a diagnosable mental health disorder. This number is increasing every year, highlighting the need for more attention to be paid to teenagers’ mental health.

2. Increased Stress and Pressure: Teenagers today face more stress and pressure than ever before. With social media, academic expectations, and the pressure to fit in, teenagers are often under a lot of pressure to succeed. This can lead to severe anxiety and depression, which can affect their ability to function in daily life.

3. Social Isolation: Social isolation has become a significant issue for teenagers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. With social distancing measures in place, teenagers are not getting the same level of social interaction they need to maintain good mental health. This can lead to feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety.

4. Stigma and Shame: There is still a significant stigma around mental health issues, which can prevent teenagers from seeking help when they need it. This can lead to a sense of shame and isolation, making it even harder for them to get the support they need.

5. Long-term Consequences: If left untreated, mental health issues can have long-term consequences for teenagers. They can affect their ability to form healthy relationships, succeed academically, and pursue their goals. Therefore, it’s essential to address mental health issues early on to prevent them from becoming more severe.

In conclusion, focusing on teenagers’ mental health is more important than ever. With growing mental health concerns, increased stress and pressure, social isolation, stigma and shame, and long-term consequences, it’s essential to provide teenagers with the support they need to thrive. By creating an environment that promotes good mental health, we can help teenagers build the resilience they need to face life’s challenges and achieve their goals.

The post Why Focusing on Teenagers’ Mental Health is More Important Than Ever appeared first on Minds Valley.