HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – In 2023, Mental Health America (MHA) ranked Virginia 48th in the nation for youth mental health care access and services. U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) to promote efforts to address the growing mental health crisis in the United States on “Child Suicide Prevention The “Means and Safety Act'' was introduced.
Kane said in a press release:
“In recent years, we have seen an alarming spike in anxiety, depression and other mental health issues among our nation's young people,” Cain said. “We must do more to expand access to mental health care and prevent youth suicide. This bill would provide more training and resources to youth suicide prevention efforts. , is essential to that end.”
The new bill would create a grant program that would provide funding to efforts across the country, including in the Shenandoah Valley, to address one of the biggest impediments to the growth of mental health care. It would also provide funding to educate families about high-risk behaviors and risk factors for young people.
Cain said many reasons contribute to the ongoing mental health crisis, some of which hit close to home.
“We are seeing increasing challenges around youth mental health and suicide issues,” Cain said. “These problems have been on the rise for some time due to a variety of factors. Whether it's fentanyl or the proliferation of social media misinformation.”
The fentanyl crisis is also raging across the United States, with many people in the Shenandoah Valley disproportionately coming into contact with fentanyl, including young adults and teens. Many people who overdosed on fentanyl report that they did not know that the substance they were ingesting was fentanyl.
Kane said many families and children are still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as the drug and fentanyl crisis grows. During the pandemic, people were left isolated and without social interaction for months.
Children back then had to experience regular schooling behind a monitor or computer screen. Ms Kane said this exacerbated her mental health issues and made it difficult for her to break free.
But both Kaine and Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.) say Virginia's mental health problems began before the pandemic began. The demand for mental health professionals and counselors has increased, but the supply has not. Kane said rural areas are being hit harder and mental health workers are in critical short supply.
“We are under-resourced in terms of the number of behavioral health providers. In some cases, we are even short on behavioral health providers trained to work with youth.” Mr. Kane said. “Young people in rural areas often have difficulty accessing mental health care.”
Cain said this is just one step toward alleviating both the youth suicide problem and the mental health crisis, but any progress could save children's lives. If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis, call the National Suicide Hotline at 988.
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