ANMH Commends us surgeon general’s Advisory on youth mental health Crisis
Washington, DC – ACTNow for Mental Health (ANMH), a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding access to mental health services and supports, fighting mental and behavioral health stigma, and enhancing health equity, commends the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy and his office on the most recent public health Advisory, titled Protecting Youth Mental Health.
Prior to COVID-19, youth and young adults in America were facing a mental health crisis; between 2007 and 2018, the suicide rate among populations ages 10 to 24 increased by 57.4%.[1] As Dr. Murthy noted, the COVID-19 pandemic “dramatically altered young peoples’ experiences at home, at school, and in the community.” This has been reflected in in increased emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts, which were higher for adolescent girls and boys than other populations in 2021.[2]
The Advisory takes a cross-sector approach, stressing that youth mental health cannot be addressed by just one entity. Instead, Dr. Murthy urges action by family members, educators, health professionals, media organizations, social media and technology companies, community organizations, funders, employers, federal, state, local, and tribal governments, as well as young people themselves to come together and support the mental health of children and youth.
Dr. Murthy identified groups that were at higher risk of mental health challenges during the pandemic, highlighting youth with intellectual and development disabilities (IDDs), racial and ethnic minority youth, LGBTQ+ youth, and low-income youth among other groups – all populations that ANMH prioritizes.
“On behalf of ANMH, we are thrilled the Surgeon General is prioritizing youth mental health during this critical time,” said Edward Garcia III, MHS, Founder and Board Member of ANMH and Founder and Executive Director of the Foundation for Social Connection. “We commend the Office of the Surgeon General on releasing this public health advisory and look forward to the awareness and action this public Advisory will expectantly foster – in particular for youth historically underserved and misrepresented by our mental and social health services systems.”
Within the advisory, Dr. Murthy highlighted that supporting the mental health of youth requires “a whole-of-society effort” and specifically recommends:
· Recognizing that mental health is an essential part of overall health
· Empowering youth and their families to recognize, manage, and learn from difficult emotions
· Ensuring that every child has access to high-quality, affordable, and culturally competent mental health care
· Supporting the mental health of children and youth in educational, community, and childcare settings
· Addressing the economic and social barriers that contribute to poor mental health for young people, families, and caregivers
· Increasing timely data collection and research to identify and respond to youth mental health needs more rapidly
Earlier this fall, ANMH alongside the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), Defying Legal Gravity, DRK Beauty Healing, Mental Health America, and the National Council on Mental Wellbeing, ANMH responded to the Senate Finance Committee’s Request for Information on policy solutions to address unmet behavioral health needs exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The key recommendations this group identified align with Dr. Murthy’s advisory, notably his acknowledgment for the need of systemic change as well as the role of government in supporting mental health efforts.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Joy Chen
Director of Operations and Strategy
ACTNow for Mental Health is dedicated to expanding access to mental health services and supports, fighting mental and behavioral health stigma, and enhancing health equity. ANMH works to match young adults in need of free or low-cost, culturally competent behavioral health care, with a focus on historically underserved communities including LGBTQIA+, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), people with physical, intellectual, or mental health disabilities, and people who are uninsured or underinsured. For more information, please visit www.anmh.info.
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr69/nvsr-69-11-508.pdf