We are currently in a mental health crisis both nationally and in West Virginia. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, youth across the country were experiencing mental health challenges, but during the pandemic there were steep increases in the number of youth experiencing anxiety and depression. The pandemic led to new stressors for youth, including school closures, isolation from peers, disruptions in schedules, economic insecurity, and the loss of parents, caregivers, and other loved ones. While the pandemic’s peak has passed, its impact on mental health can still be felt.
READ THE FULL BRIEF.
Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, and is an essential component of overall health. Mental health affects every aspect of how we feel, think, and act. It helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.
Mental health matters at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence to adulthood. Mental health struggles can make it difficult to work, keep up with school, stick to a regular schedule, have healthy relationships, socialize, maintain hygiene, and more.
The mental health of young people is influenced by a number of factors, including societal, environmental, community, family, and individual factors (Figure 1), as well as biological factors including genes and brain chemistry. Adverse childhood experiences (ACES) such as abuse, neglect, exposure to community violence, and living in under-resourced or racially segregated neighborhoods can also shape mental health. ACEs can undermine a child’s sense of safety, stability, bonding, and well-being, as well as lead to toxic stress, which can cause life-long challenges, including disrupting brain development and increasing the risk for other mental health conditions and other health problems such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, both during and beyond childhood as well as for future generations.
Mental health challenges are the leading cause of disability and poor life outcomes in young people, with up to 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17 in the United States having a reported mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder. Unfortunately in 2016, of the 7.7 million children with a treatable mental health disorder, half did not receive adequate treatment.
