SAN ANTONIO – Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have struggled with an aspect of their mental health, especially teenagers.
Mental health-related emergency department visits among teens ages 12 to 17 years were up 31% in 2020 compared to 2019, according to data from the CDC.
Further, suspected suicide attempts that resulted in an emergency department visit were 50.6% higher in girls aged 12 to 17 years in February 2021 compared to the same period in 2019.
To go deeper into this topic, Breakdown with #StephAndSteve explored mental health issues teenagers are facing and what steps parents can take to help.
The guests included:
- Talli Dolge, MS Ed., CEO Mobile Mental Wellness Collaborative and Senior Vice President of School and Community Partnerships for Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
- Geoff Gentry, PhD., Senior Vice President of clinical services at Clarity
- Demonte Alexander, San Antonio-based Public Affairs consultant
- Also joining the livestream is Ainsley. She is a high school junior who has struggled with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression.
“I was a cheerleader. I was always smiling. I was the one with all of the pep and the spirit. And I just I began to lose myself”, Ainsley said. “But I knew that I still had to make sure that no one else knew that.”
You can watch the live stream in the video player above.
How to watch
Talk to #StephAndSteve
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Pandemic took a toll on teen mental health, US study says