America has an urgent youth mental health crisis. In 2019, more than one in three high school students said they experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and one-in-five students seriously considered suicide. Recently, emergency rooms saw a significant uptick in the proportion of emergency room visits for mental health reasons in young people. This crisis isn’t new, but the pandemic has made it worse.

Youth who are anxious, depressed, and worse are struggling and their mental health problems are overwhelming parents and educators alike. But we can do something about it.

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Hi, my name is NAME and I’m calling from CITY to talk about the importance of youth mental health. Students today are experiencing significant mental health challenges, yet few get the help they need. I believe that all parents, families, and communities want their children to be safe, happy, and healthy, that’s why we need comprehensive school mental health systems in every school. Every young person should be able to get the help they need to be safe, happy, and healthy. I urge you to take action today. With high rates of depression among young people, it’s important to be able to intervene early and provide the support to help students thrive.