NEWS BRIEF: Atlanta nonprofit tackling youth mental health during pandemic
Children and teens depressed from pandemic
Photo credit: Courtesy Heads Up for Harry
A local nonprofit called Heads Up For Harry is addressing the fact that mental health-related emergency room visits for children increased nationwide from the start of the pandemic in 2020 and continued into the fall with increases of 24 percent in the 5–11 age bracket, and 31 percent among those aged 12–17 years, compared with the same period in 2019. Founded in 2018, the group works with local schools on how to deal openly with mental health issues. HUFH chief Spencer Mitchell says the vigilance of on-site counsellors is crucial to schoolchildren. “Teachers, coaches, and friends (also) play a big role.” He cited a Johns Hopkins University study that showed a 19 percent post-pandemic increase in depression among young adults. wabe.org