drkoyroberts.com
When prominent people share their mental health battles it not only raises public consciousness but continues to chip away at societal stigma. Athletes are revered for their perseverance, toughness and performance under adversity. If they are wise enough to get help so can the rest of us.
Madalyn Parker’s email to her boss has been retweeted over 15,000 times. It represents what is right and wrong about the state and stigma of mental health in the U.S.. According to the Centers for Disease Control only 17% of Americans are considered in a state of optimal mental health. The National Institute of Mental Health says 20% of adults in the U.S. will experience mental illness in a given year. It’s sad that Madalyn’s email is such a big deal but anything that promotes or encourages others to do the same or get help is welcome. Hopefully, people like Madalyn will help us all bury whatever stigma remains about mental health care.
Occasionally, I get this question and conversation from teens. I encourage them to hold off on number one until they are 38 or parents are deceased. Whichever comes first. However, a couple of days ago a wise 18 year old young man told me “not much when your parents pay the bills.”
By now everyone has heard of the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” based on a widely known fictional novel. Like other mental health clinicians this show concerns me because it not only glorifies or romanticizes suicide but is also inaccurate in many places. I appreciate the fact it raises suicide awareness and many struggling adolescents might seek help rather than copycat the behavior as some fear. The New York Times has an article about the concerns of families of teens at suicide risk as well as an article about the warning Netflix has added to the beginning of 13RW.
The National Association of School Psychologists has released 13RW Talking Points. If your teen has viewed this or plans to view this series I encourage you to watch the show with them and start a dialogue about the show’s content.
At my daughter’s Middle School the girls will be taking part in the Kind Campaign, a presentation that focuses on the lasting effects of girls’ mean behavior towards one another. It begins with an assembly that will include viewing of the documentary, “Finding Kind,” as well as discussion and activities that encourage kindness and positive interactions. The assembly will be led by the Kind Campaign founders, Lauren Paul and Molly Thompson. To learn more, please visit www.kindcampaign.com.
At the same time, the boys will be seeing a presentation called Measured by Character, led by Wade White, whose son, Ryan, a former Denton ISD student, was killed in a car accident at the age of 18. Mr. White has made it his mission to present to young people about the importance of character, leaving a legacy, and how a person can positively impact others no matter his age. To find out more, you may visit www.measuredbycharacter.com.
Most research on bullying has focused on the severe psychological problems bullied children experience. However, a research study recently published in the Journal of Educational Psychology indicates bullied children suffer academically as well as emotionally. Chronically bulled students suffer declining test scores, a growing dislike for school and failing confidence in their abilities. Boys versus girls were bullied more frequently across all grade levels. Dr. Gary Ladd and his research team followed and studied several hundred students from Kindergarten through 12th Grade. Nearly 25% of all students suffered chronic bullying through the school years. The only positive news they discovered is that as students entered high school the bullying tended to taper off. The key according to the research team is early intervention. I hope studies such as this continue to receive widespread media attention to keep the spotlight on this issue.
