EDITORIALS

While most people are still focused on the death toll and physical health issues created by the #COVID-19 #pandemic, fewer are thinking about the #mentalhealthissues that are taking a toll on all of us.

#James Donaldson notes:

Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.

Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.

Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle

Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,

#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:

From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

#Mentalhealthissues are a burden for everyone — including our children.

According to a report in Stateline, the federal #CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention says emergency room visits for #suicideattempts in #teens jumped 31% in 2020 compared to 2019. In February and March 2021, ER visits for #suicideattempts were 51% higher in #girls 12-17 compared to 2019.

Indeed, #teachers across the country have reported crying and disruptive #behavior in young #children and more bullying in #adolescents. And in October, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children’s Hospital Association declared the decline of #mentalhealth in #children and #adolescents since the #pandemic started a national emergency.

“Nearly every #child in the country is suffering to some degree from the psychological effects of the pandemic,” said Sharon Hoover, co-director of the National Center for School #MentalHealth. She noted that while the #pandemic may end, the #mentalhealtheffects will continue.

Damage has been done to all of us. We must do what we can now to mitigate the long-term effects by investing in #mentalhealthresources. Officials and the #healthcare and insurance industries must find a way to make #mentalhealthresources more accessible to everyone. While we have made some gains in this department, there is more to be done.

Destigmatization of #mentalhealthchallenges — and a reminder that #mentalhealthcare is #healthcare, every bit as important as physical, dental, vision — are essential.

Lawmakers — federal, state and local — must not neglect this aspect of the #pandemic. There is no vaccine for it, and if we ignore it, it will not go away.
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