The mental health of children has been increasingly affected since the beginning of the pandemic, a situation that has worsened with the dozens of shootings and attempted shootings in US schools, which is why in October 2021 the American Academy of Pediatrics declared mental illness in this population group a national emergency.
In the wake of recent shootings and massacres, experts gathered at a conference organized by Ethnic Media Services to talk about the mental health challenges that children and adolescents face, as well as the alternatives and ways to help those who suffer from these problems.
Beth Jarosz, U.S. Program Director and Associate Director of Kids Data, spoke about the significance of the rising suicide rates in the United States, particularly in the state of Florida.
He commented that the suicide rate for children aged 15 to 19 in 2020 increased by 60 percent compared to 2007, while the suicide rate for children aged 10 to 14 is three times higher than it was in the same year.
Likewise, it is known that high-risk groups are those people who belong to indigenous communities, with adversities in their childhood, the LGBTQ+ community, homeless or those who have been adopted and those who have suffered bullying.
He also noted that 1 in 6 young people have been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, behavioral problems and depression. However, only half of these have received treatment or counseling.
In his opportunity, Eddy Molin, nursing manager at Jackson Health System based in Miami, Florida, commented that in the