Helping teens face America’s mental health crisis

The signs of anxiety and depression started early for me, but I didn’t have the language in elementary or middle school to talk about it — nor did I have the tools to deal with it. By my senior year of high school, I hit bottom. Utterly distraught and desperate, after weeks of barely sleeping or eating, I finally dragged myself to see a school counselor. I was student body president and president of our drama club, and I was embarrassed to seek help. But my hopelessness scared me enough to overcome my shame, and I got the critical help I needed.

I’ve spent my entire adult life seeking out and developing tools to help me manage my anxiety and depression, but I wish I’d had those tools as a teenager. Our kids today desperately need these tools — even more than I did. I wasn’t dealing with additional anxiety over gun violence in schools, the trauma from the pandemic and the intense pressures from social media. And as a mom of two, I worry about the effects these outside stressors have on my own kids.

The statistics on mental distress among high school students are alarming. Forty-two percent of high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and nearly a quarter say they seriously considered suicide in 2021, according to the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey. A 2020 Cigna study also revealed that loneliness was at epidemic levels in this country, with over 70 percent of Gen Z Americans reporting feeling lonely and disconnected. We are in the midst of a severe mental health crisis among young adults. 

Among LGBTQ youth the numbers are elevated: 45 percent of LGBTQ youth have seriously considered suicide in the past year. And 60 percent of LGBTQ youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it, according to research by the Trevor Project.  

These stark statistics represent hundreds of thousands of young Americans. They are our children, our neighbors, our friends, our students, and they urgently need support and resources. I regularly hear from Vermonters who feel ill-equipped to deal with this public health emergency. 

I’ve learned that the first vital step in addressing this crisis is addressing the stigma head on. To combat stigma around mental health treatment we must normalize the experience. Acknowledging mental illness doesn’t make you weak, it makes you human. When we speak openly about it, we give others permission and courage to also speak openly and to promote healing. That’s why I’m committed to being open about my own struggles as I introduce legislation that empowers our youth to support one another in moments of crisis.  

The Peer Education and Emergency Response (PEER) for Mental Health Act establishes a grant program that supports training for teachers, school personnel, parents, caregivers and students in mental health first aid. This training helps us to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders in ourselves and others. It includes training in assessing risk, listening without judgment, providing information and reassurance, encouraging professional help, as well as strategies for self-help. This law will build on the great work already being done to support early intervention and the development of mental health and wellness.  

We know educated peer intervention can make a real difference for those experiencing mental health struggles. A systematic review and meta-analysis of Mental Health First Aid training in 2018 showed that those with mental health first aid training had more knowledge; demonstrated improved recognition of mental disorders; displayed fewer stigmatizing beliefs; and were better able to help a person showing symptoms of mental health problems. 

When I was a middle school classroom teacher, we often offered First Aid and CPR training for our students. They were insatiable learners and wanted tools to be helpful to friends and community members. More than First Aid and CPR, Mental Health First Aid is what is most needed now, based on my conversations with parents, teachers and students. 

Mental Health First Aid training won’t and shouldn’t take the place of training, recruiting, and hiring more counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists. We need more mental health professionals in every congressional district across this country. We must also invest in resources for professional intervention, but our kids want and need to be equipped with the knowledge to uplift and support their friends and classmates. The students tell me they are already being asked to do this by their friends, but they don’t have the knowledge they need. This is leaving them feeling overwhelmed. 

To fully support American youth, this should be another tool in the toolbox of resources. We can’t look away from their suffering. We must stand with them and make a commitment to do better for them and for their families. To address this mental health crisis — an emergency that is impacting every community and congressional district — I’m calling on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in investing in practical, cost-effective, and immediate solutions to equip our children and teens with tools that will help them lead healthier, more stable, fulfilling lives. 

Becca Balint represents Vermont at large.