George S. Helmy: “our nation's youth are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis, and we need to take immediate action to address the…”

“our nation's youth are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis, and we need to take immediate action to address the root causes and ensure adequate access to care. I stand here today with my friend and colleague, Senator Katie Britt, to implore continued action to solve this crisis. This issue is one that is personal for me, as it is for Senator Britt. We both have young children, and so we see what they and their peers experience firsthand. There is no issue more urgent, more critical to our Nation's future than the health and safety of our next generation. The challenges are well-known; and, frankly, the data is shocking. Over the past decade, cases of severe depression among young adults have nearly doubled. In the 2010s, suicidal behaviors among high school students increased by more than 40 percent. And since 2017, the number of youth hospitalized for anxiety has increased by 50 percent; the proportion hospitalized for self-harm has nearly doubled. I repeat: The proportion hospitalized for self-harm has nearly doubled. Youth and young adults ages 10 to 24 account for 15 percent of all suicides--an increase of over 50 percent since 2000. It is the second leading cause of death among our young people. We can point to numerous stressors feeding this crisis. And I have discussed on this floor with great honor before, social media lands at the very top of that list.…”