Here are key takeaways from our reporting:
• The problem: We have published numerous statistics over the months capturing the scope of the problem. Here’s yet another from a new study: Approximately one in four children ages 3 to 17 across the U.S. reported one or more mental, emotional, developmental or behavioral problems in 2021 and 2022.
• Outcome: Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 24, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. And the rate has increased dramatically in recent decades.
• Solutions: Eileen and Samantha’s latest story summarizes our key findings over six months.
In short:
- Cellphone and social media use among youth is a major contributing factor. This story looks at how parents can limit kids’ use of such technology and why it’s important to do so.
- There’s still a need for more awareness and for kids not to feel stigmatized when they have an issue with mental health. Here is our report on a Greenville teen and how she overcame the stigma to get help.
- Access is a problem. Parents from across the region told the Dayton Daily News that even when they realized their child needed help, it was difficult to get their kid into counseling. Training and more workers is needed.
- Some schools have adopted practices to get kids mental health care that other schools could look to emulate.
- In the face of this crisis, funding for efforts to address the problem is dwindling at both the school and county level.
• Legislative solutions: While the impact of the mental health crisis is local, the problem is much larger. This story looks at what is — and isn’t — being done by Ohio lawmakers and state leaders to address a problem felt across the state.
• Voices of kids: Throughout this project, we have made it a point to include the voices of children who see these struggles in their friends, classmates and themselves. Here is a collection of their stories.
• Public service journalism: We embarked on this project to help our community overcome a shared challenge. Our Mental Health Matters project page includes additional reporting and a resource guide for parents. All of this is free to read online, which is made possible by the subscribers and advertisers who support our journalism. Thank you.
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