Adolescents are afraid to tell their parents how they are feeling, and they do not believe anyone at their schools will listen. This was especially true of children I met who were sent to the emergency department for mental health treatment.
I am a University of South Carolina graduate student working toward a Master of Social Work degree and an intern in a Columbia psychiatric hospital. I am originally from Fort Lawn, South Carolina, and I too battled with mental health issues as an adolescent and into adulthood.
In my time as an MSW intern and a medical scribe in an emergency department, I have worked with many adolescents who call South Carolina home. In this capacity, I learned from the SC Department of Health and Human Services that approximately 77% of South Carolina’s youth who experience a major depressive episode do not receive the mental health care services they need. Fortunately, according to the School-Based Health Alliance, adolescents are 21 times more likely to access mental health resources in their schools over any other setting.
Although South Carolina has changed a lot for the better in recent years, our state’s adolescent mental health crisis deepens.
Alarming signifiers
We must understand the scope of how this situation affects our youth.
The SC Department of Health and Human Services found that suicide is the second leading cause of death for South Carolinians between the ages of 10 to 14 and the third leading cause for adolescents 15 to 17.
The SC Department of Public Health found that 141 youths in our state died due to suicide in 2021. The American Academy of Pediatrics has declared that suicide is a public health crisis and has recommended that screening adolescents for their risk is an important strategy for increasing their access to care. The National Institutes of Health cites that social media can affect how adolescents view themselves and can normalize harmful norms.
Rising rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation among adolescents demand immediate and decisive action from legislators, educators and communities.
Immediate attention for collaborative action
Effective mental health interventions require active listening, empathy and collaboration with clients to develop personalized strategies for coping and recovery.
I’ve learned in my studies at USC the value of addressing mental health issues by taking a holistic approach that considers biological, psychological and social factors when assessing and treating people.
To create a healthier future for our youth, let us start by implementing mental health education in schools by integrating mental health awareness into the curriculum and expanding in-school access to social workers.
Let us encourage the creation of peer-led support groups for parents and youth.
Let us increase telehealth options to reach underserved rural communities and allow students to receive mental health services without having families travel extensively.
South Carolina’s adolescent mental health crisis is not an issue we can afford to ignore. Let us address these issues and increase the budgets for school-based mental health programs and community services, or we risk an entire generation struggling with untreated mental health issues that could impact their well-being, academic successes and future contributions to their communities.
After graduation, I plan on obtaining my licensure and working in behavioral health and advocating for mental health access for all. When we expand access to mental health treatments by further integrating services into schools, we can change the future for thousands of adolescents.
Parents, health care providers, educators, lawmakers and community members must jointly create a support system that puts the well-being of South Carolina’s children first and foremost. Each day that we delay, more adolescents suffer in silence.