The Youth Mental Health Crisis Will Soon Rival the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis in Scale
Dr. Vivek H. Murthy is the Surgeon General of the United States of America. In his latest advisory to America, titled “Protecting Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory,” he stated that:
“It would be a tragedy if we beat back one public health crisis only to allow another to grow in its place. That’s why I am issuing this Surgeon General’s Advisory. Mental health challenges in children, adolescents, and young adults are real, and they are widespread. But most importantly, they are treatable, and often preventable.”
Dr. Murthy points out that every child will develop in unique circumstances and at their own pace. He highlights that there is no single roadmap on the path from childhood to adulthood. This has always been true, he writes, although the challenges children today are facing are “unprecedented and uniquely hard to navigate” compared to the challenges faced by previous generations.
What has triggered this shift? The cause is multi-faceted; the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental concerns, civil unrest, stressed relationships, and a lack of community are all factors that play an important role. Another significant factor is technology.
Technology itself isn’t inherently good or bad, but it can have significant implications on mental health depending on who uses it, and how they use it.
When a technology platform is deployed responsibly, it can empower youth, reinforce positive behaviours, and have positive impacts on wellbeing. Examples of positive technology usage include delivering educational resources and accessing information. Parents, guardians, and community stakeholders can also contribute to positive technology by using it to collaborate more efficiently amongst themselves to ensure youth and children are being watched over by well-connected adults that have instant access to up-to-date information regarding their health and safety.
You can watch this 2-minute video to see how technology can help protect, strengthen, and support the health and safety of all children, adolescents, and young adults.
