Posted on November 6, 2023
Politico Future Pulse
Technology is often blamed for young people’s mental health struggles. It can also be a solution, panelists at the Future of Health Summit said. “Siri, I’m feeling depressed.” Encouraging a young person to start a conversation about their mental health care, even with Apple’s assistant, Siri, can make a difference, said Daniel Gillison, NAMI CEO. In response, Siri says it’s sorry to hear that and offers to connect the person to a family or friend or refer them to the alliance’s website, Gillison said at a session on America’s youth mental health crisis. Why it matters: While devices and social media are often seen as contributors to teens’ anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, they can also help youth get support with their mental health struggles, Gillison said.
READ MOREPosted on October 31, 2023
Yahoo! News
In the wake of the mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, many parents are navigating how to talk to their kids about the tragedy. Dr. Christine Crawford, NAMI associate medical director, said there is no one right way to talk to kids but simply talking, listening, and reassuring are key. “One way to start is to ask the kids what they think about the current situation, how does it make them feel, what have they heard about it, so you know exactly where you’re starting from,” Crawford said. “From there they can talk about what feelings and emotions it brings up for them.” Parents should reassure kids they are safe, she said, and that there is hope in a world that seems scary. “Safety is key because for a lot of kids, especially young kids, they just want to know the adults in their lives can take care of them and keep them safe,” Crawford said. “But when you hear about all these unsafe events, it makes kids wonder, ‘Are the adults able to protect me if something were to go wrong?’”
READ MOREPosted on October 31, 2023
NJ Spotlight News
Transgender students say rollback of transgender protections makes schools less safe and welcoming. Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO, said too many people assume every child has a supportive home environment, which isn’t always the case. “We’re losing too many kids every single day and we need to do more to tell our kids that they are perfect as they are, that we love them, we accept them and do everything we can to protect our children’s health and well-being,” Wesolowski said. She added that the discussion of anti-LGBTQ+ policies alone can have a hugely detrimental impact on youth who may feel like the resources, support and access to care they benefit from are at risk. This leads to higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicidality, Wesolowski added.
READ MOREPosted on October 24, 2023
The Washington Post
Young adults in the U.S. experience anxiety and depression twice as frequently as teenagers, according to a new survey report by the Harvard University Making Caring Common project. The high levels of mental illness reflect the current challenging conditions for entering adulthood. For the first time since the Great Depression, the most common living arrangement for people in their 20s is with one or both parents. “Transitioning to independence and to adulthood has been pretty hard for our young people nowadays,” said Christine Crawford, NAMI associate medical director and psychiatrist. “There are a lot of concerns that have to do with finances, as well as uncertainty about what their future could bring.”
READ MOREPosted on October 24, 2023
WBUR
Dr. Christine Crawford, NAMI associate medical director, said the report's findings correspond with what she sees in her practice. "This transitional period [to adulthood] has always been the same, but young people [now] are consistently being inundated by messages of what's happening to the world, the environment, and that's further fueling some of the mood-related symptoms they're experiencing," she said. Crawford added that heightened anxiety among parents and the trend in recent decades of an "all hands-on deck, micromanaging" style of parenting have led to young people not being as well prepared to enter adulthood.
READ MOREPosted on October 18, 2023
The Hill
A lack of funding and resources can prevent Americans from getting the mental health care they need, experts say. Lawmakers, mental health experts and advocates joined together to discuss how stigmas associated with mental health can be broken and how to build a comprehensive health care system that supports individuals affected by mental illness, among other topics. The lawmakers seemingly agreed that the lack of resources makes it more difficult for those who need help to receive it, and that a larger investment into mental health is necessary. “Mental Health doesn’t look Republican, it doesn’t look Democratic, it doesn’t look independent, it looks like all of us,” NAMI CEO Daniel Gillison said.
Posted on October 16, 2023
NBC News NOW
Sens. Padilla and Tillis bonded over their experiences caring for loved ones undergoing mental health crises. Their conversations transformed into action when, a few months later, they launched the bipartisan Mental Health Caucus that, for the first time, would focus solely on the issue. The U.S. is in a mental health crisis, according to NAMI, the country’s largest grassroots mental health organization, which has partnered with the new Senate caucus. “In the last few years, we have seen a massive increase in what people need. There are so many more people who are recognizing that they’re struggling with their mental health, and there are so many more people who are having those symptoms of mental health conditions,” said Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO.
READ MOREPosted on October 11, 2023
WebMD
Personal story by Dawn Brown, National Director of NAMI HelpLine Services: “My son, Matthew, was rare in that he was diagnosed at 8 years old. Most often, schizophrenia manifests in the late teens or early 20s. At 18, he had a psychotic break and required hospitalization. Eventually he found treatment that was effective, but it took quite a while. Once we found something that seemed to address his symptoms on several levels, he became treatment-compliant by taking his medication on schedule. But medication is a small part of the treatment plan. He’s also keeping his appointments with his psychiatrist and therapist and doing what he can to maintain his overall health and wellness. He’s 38 now. He enjoys his life. He has friends. He has places he goes during the day that keeps him engaged with others. But it’s been a journey. There will be many ups and downs. Over time it does get better. An engaged, informed loved one is often the best indicator of the outcome for a person with schizophrenia.
READ MOREPosted on October 10, 2023
Good Morning America
Research released earlier this year shows that parents and teenagers are suffering from anxiety and depression at nearly the same rate. Dr. Christine Crawford, NAMI associate medical director, said she's seeing a rise not only in the number of kids with mental health struggles, but also in the number of parents and caregivers who are trying to help them. Crawford said, "Parents continue to see their kid struggling, and they're like, 'I'm putting in all this time and I'm not seeing the change,' and therefore they feel that it reflects poorly on them as a parent but then also on them as a person ... all these negative thoughts start to afflict them." Crawford said that given the crisis she sees amongst both kids and parents, she uses the beginning of each therapy appointment to simply ask the parent or caregiver how they are doing. "The reality is that kids are spending the majority of their time with their caregiver, not with us as practitioners," Crawford said. "So the work that we are doing as providers is not going to be 100% successful if we know that we're sending our kids home to an environment in which their caregivers are struggling each and every day."
Posted on October 3, 2023
Essence
Recently, GSUSA announced the launch of mental wellness programming in partnership with NAMI, helping girls nationwide. Studies show that girls are disproportionally affected by the increasing mental health crisis in America. NAMI data reveals that nearly 90% of parents prioritize their child’s mental health over academic achievement. “NAMI is proud to support Girl Scouts’ effort to raise awareness for mental health and well-being with the patch program,” said NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. “The reach and ability to support girls across age groups with tailored resources and activities is incredibly valuable not only for the girls but also for parents and caregivers. We hope by making it easier to talk generally about mental health with a trusted adult; girls will feel more at ease sharing concerns or asking questions.”
READ MORENAMI HelpLine is available M-F, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET. Call 800-950-6264,
text “helpline” to 62640, or chat online. In a crisis, call or text 988 (24/7).
