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Dear John,
It’s Mental Health Awareness Month. If you’re a professional working to end domestic and sexual violence, and child trauma, or if you work with children and youth, you’ve probably already heard about the decline in youth mental health. You see it first-hand. The numbers are stark.
- Children who experience more adverse childhood experiences (ACE) like abuse are at an increased risk of depression and suicide attempts as adults
- At least one in seven children experienced child abuse or neglect in the past year
- About 1 in 5 young people reported feelings of anxiety or depression in a 2021 survey
- 20% of kids who need therapy don’t receive it
What can you do? Research shows that if there’s a caring adult in a young person’s life, they are less likely to face mental health problems. There are simple things you – healthcare and legal professionals, policy makers, educators, advocates, mentors and parents – can do to support young people’s mental health. |
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- Our “Everyday Magic: 7 Ways Parents & Caregivers Can Help Children Affected by Family Violence” series provides practical advice for parents and caregivers at all stages of their children’s lives
- For advocates and professionals working with adult and child survivors of domestic abuse, our series explaining the five key protective factors will help you improve care for survivors: Social Connections, Nurturing Parent-Child Interactions, Resilience and A Growth Mindset, Social & Emotional Abilities and Safer and More Stable Conditions
- Policymakers can learn about the cost of ACEs in the United States
Go to our website for links to many resources with practical guidance, tangible actions and a little hope to address the youth mental health crisis. Our young people need help. But with some effort we can do small things that can make a big difference in their lives.
With Respect,
Lonna Davis, VP of Children & Youth Program |
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