Mental Health a Concern | News, Sports, Jobs

Though it seems we hear more and agencies acknowledging the terrible toll taken by COVID-19 on mental health, particularly for our children, it took a while to get to the point of action to reverse the problem.

According to the National Academy for State Health Policy, a policy research group, 38 states enacted nearly 100 laws to support mental health in our schools last year, while dozens more became law this year in at least 22 states. Ohio is among them.

According to Mental Health America, nationwide more than 60% of children who experience a severe depressive episode do not receive treatment. But when these results are broken down by state, Ohio finds itself a bit above the national average, with 60-69% totals.

While we are taking steps in the right direction, the Buckeye State must do more to help young people who are in mental health crisis seek and receive treatment.

“Schools need to create a safe and open culture where kids know it’s OK to talk about … mental illness,” said Julie Goldstein Grumet, vice president of Education Development Center, a policy research group.

Better to take this as a wake up call and spring to action now, than to be shaken into action by a tragedy later.