U.S. Surgeon General urges action to addresss youth mental health crisis

There is a national youth mental health crisis happening right now. The COVID-19 pandemic affected and disrupted the lives of our children, especially those who were vulnerable to begin with. But even before the pandemic, mental health challenges were the leading cause of disability and poor life outcomes in young people, with up to 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17 in the U.S. having a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder. 

Today, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued a new Surgeon General’s Advisory to highlight the urgent need to address the nation’s youth mental health crisis. It includes an action plan broken into ten parts. Each section details how family members, organizations, community leaders, tech companies and more can do their part in addressing the urgent need for a swift and coordinated response. 

Dayton Children's is already committed to protecting youth mental health and eradicating the stigma of mental illness. The On Our Sleeves initiative, started in May of 2021, Is a national movement to break the silence surrounding children's mental health. On Our Sleeves provides free, evidenced-informed educational resources and connects families to trusted local resources in order to support children. 

Our obligation to act is not just medical—it’s moral. I believe that, coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have an unprecedented opportunity as a country to rebuild in a way that refocuses our identity and common values, puts people first, and strengthens our connections to each other.

Vivek H. Murthy, Surgeon General of the United States

So what comes next? How do we move forward? The detailed advisory includes research, and has recommendations for parents, families, educators and more. It also includes dozens of resources organized by your role and relation to our nation's youth.

Take action now by reading the advisory here.