West Alabama Student Hosting Youth Mental Health Event This May
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and there are so many statistics exposing the fact that it is a huge deal, especially for our youth.
Children have to deal with so much pressure surrounding fitting in, being accepted by others, and plainly finding themselves all while navigating school and home life.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness reported that 61.8% of Alabamians ages 12-17 who have depression did not receive any care within the last year. That stat was from the year 2021.
NAMI also reported that 7 in 10 youth in the juvenile justice system have a mental health condition.
A Tik Tok video created by a news journalist details what is being called the Teenage mental health crisis. The video says that 57% of teenage girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021 which is up 21% from 2011.
In the video, the creator suggests three things to help teens fight mental health issues.
- Strong focus on student connectivity
- Increase access to services
- Provide quality health education
A recent graduate of Hale County High School by the name of Kristian Constant will host a youth mental health event at the Hale County Middle School gym.
"He's really passionate about mental health and wanted to put something together for youth in our community to share resources and information on mental health services," Vanhorn said when discussing why her son Kristian wanted to put this event together.
The event will feature performances from Alpha Esquire, performances by a dance team, a panel discussion, resources, and more.
There will also be words from Patrice Bright whose teenage daughter passed away from suicide a few years ago.
Vanhorn said the event is going to be informative but also fun with entertainment and other activities planned.
The Hale County Youth Mental Health Summit will take place on May 20th at the Hale County Middle School gym at 10a.
If you have questions about the event or would like to become a sponsor or vendor you're asked to contact Jamaria Williams at 334-624-3051
More From 105.1 The Block
