Here are a few words and links to resources from our school counselor Heather Howard.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month with the week of May 2- 8th designated at Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, your school counselor and school psychologist are asking you to join them to bring increased awareness of children’s mental health. Look for information and resources throughout the week. To kick things off, here are some interesting facts and links for more information about Children’s Mental Health.
1 in 5 children ages 13-18 has or will have a serious mental illness.
1 in 6 children ages 2-8 has a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder.
11% of youth have a mood disorder.
10% of youth have a behavior or conduct disorder.
8% of youth have an anxiety disorder.
50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14 and 75% begin by age 24.
Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in youth ages 10-24.
90% of those who died by suicide had an underlying mental illness.
70% of youth in state and local juvenile justice systems have a mental illness.
You can also visit www.nami.org, www.nimh.nih.gov, or www.cdc.gov/
childrensmentalhealth for more information.
If you are worried about your student’s mental health please contact our school psychologist Mrs. Bearden or school counselor Mrs. Howard. You can call our school or send an email directly to Mrs. Howard, our school counselor. heather.howard@lposd.org
