From country sensation Naomi Judd, to Miss USA Cheslie Kryst and five NCCA athletes who all tragically died by suicide this year — it’s crucial to focus on how we can help impact this mental health crisis.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and a new program is launching to combat teenage suicides. The CDC discovered that since the pandemic 1 in 5 children have a mental disorder with only 20% receiving professional care.
The Child Mind Institute has launched the “Dare to Share” campaign to encourage kids to talk about mental health.
Celebrities like Grammy award winner P!nk to Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy, are sharing their experiences with depression and panic attacks to help open the conversation.
Dare to Share offers great resources to help start the conversation between children and their parents. Offering great ice breakers to ask the right questions. There’s also a resource to help kids talk to their parents with the feeling of shame.
The National Alliance of Mental Illness share these tips for talking to kids about depression:
- Let them ask you questions
- Make it clear it’s not their fault
- Listen without interruption
- Validate their emotions and experiences
- Seek professional help together
- Don’t be afraid to ask about their thoughts on suicide
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