Looking at the Youth Mental Health Crisis

On Tuesday a gunman killed at least 19 children, 1 teacher, and at least 1 other adult in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

These precious children were killed while simply attending school are now among the thousands of young people injured or killed by guns during the past year. In fact, analysis of CDC data recently published by the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that in 2020 firearms became the leading cause of death for young Americans.

In December, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a public health advisory on the youth mental health crisis that has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The rate of death by self-inflicted gunshot wound has risen faster among adolescents and teens than any other group. 

We speak to Dr. Michael Lindsey, Executive Director at the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University, to better understand death by suicide and its connection of the mental health of young people.

A school shooting like this is an enraging act of violence which can lead young people who are already struggling, to feel even more vulnerable, distraught, or hopeless. We spoke to three young people who have faced mental health challenges and have all become advocates for their own well-being and that of their peers, before the mass shooting in Uvalde, and we think that this event makes it even more crucial to keep thinking about the emotional well-being and mental health of young people. 

We heard from Diana Chao, founder and executive director of Letters to Strangers, Juan Acosta, mental health advocate, and Charlie Lucas, co-founder of the notOK app.