Mental health can take many forms, and disorders are of wide range.
According to the
statistics provided by NAMI, 50% of all mental health disorders will manifest
themselves around the age of 14; 7.7 million of the United States youth aged 6
to 17 were affected by a mental health disorder in 2016, and 1 in 6 of them
experiences a mental health condition each year.
Depression is
considered the leading disability worldwide, suicide ranks the second leading
cause of death among the population ages 10 to 34 in the United States alone,
and up to 90% of the people who died by suicide had shown symptoms of a mental
health condition revealed by psychological autopsies. These numbers are not to
be taken lightly, and they make us wonder, how can we help our youth feel safe
and in touch with their feelings?
Some mental health
issues are more visible than others, but we should never assume that people are
not battling internally just because they don't seem to be struggling
outwardly.
That's what this book
is about: not looking away from what could affect any of us, or our loved ones
of any age.
The more you talk
about it, the easier it gets. It is time we all start and normalize our own
conversations surrounding mental health, and we must each do our part to create
a more caring and supportive environment for future generations to come.
