The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
Understanding the crisis in youth mental health
"The pace of change in today's society is so fast that older adults are not really able to comprehend the struggles that today's youth are facing." Kaz Nelson, MD, said during UMRA's October Forum. "It's our job to believe young people."
The UMRA Forum on October 27, 2020, was presented by Kaz J. Nelson, MD, associate professor and vice-chair of education in the University of Minnesota Medical School Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Nelson addressed today’s crisis in youth mental health by exploring what the crisis is, how the crisis is impacting families across our state and country, and how it is impacting the health and development of children and adolescents.
Many contributing factors
There are a number of factors creating this crisis in our youth. One is the shortage of child psychiatrists in every county in the state of Minnesota. Another is that a surfeit of information is now readily available in real time, worldwide, in a youth culture that spends a lot of time absorbed in the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, a polarized society, racism, socio-economic status, health disparities, and more. At the same time, society expects its youth to excel in life through education, professional development, engagement in communities, volunteerism, sports, and many more achievements. These stressors have created a gap between the demands and the capabilities of the students to meet them, creating a mental health crisis on campuses that is increasing and remains largely untreated.
Students are not immune
Students are not immune from mental health disorders, and the pace of change in today’s society is so fast that older adults are not really able to comprehend the struggles that today’s youth are facing.
In response to the gap between demands and resources, students are focusing on the basic needs in their lives. When interviewed, they verbalize four major sources of stress: financial, sleep quality, safety (from abuse and assault), and discrimination. Focusing on these stressors is limiting their capacity to reach the achievements expected of them and that they desire.
Many are seeking counseling. Pre-COVID, 46 percent had clinical symptoms of a mental disorder. Among students seeking treatment at counseling centers, the percentage having seriously considered attempting suicide rose from 24 percent in 2010 to 37 percent in 2019!
Framework for supporting youth
The recommended approach for supporting youth is to create an environment that is safe, meets their basic needs, and includes the engagement of a loving adult who is attentive and helpful. One aspect to achieving the latter is to believe young people when they vocalize their stress. Affirming their concerns and validating their views and feelings in an engaging way helps to create a safe environment and broadens their focus of achievement.
“It’s our job to believe young people,” Dr. Nelson said. “Judging someone’s response to their circumstances, or comparing their circumstances to yours, is not productive.”
At the University of Minnesota, President Gable has made mental health a major point of emphasis. UMRA needs to consider how it might help her in this important undertaking.
—Frank Cerra, UMRA president
Crisis in youth mental health
Tue, October 27 2020, 12pm
Psychiatrist Kaz Nelson, MD
Vice Chair of Education
UMN Medical School Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Event to be held via Zoom.
The UMRA Forum at 12 noon on Tuesday, October 27, will address the mental health crisis in our youth, a crisis exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. The topic will be addressed by Kaz J. Nelson, MD, associate professor and vice-chair of education in the University of Minnesota Medical School Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Please register for this Zoom webinar on October 27.
Dr. Nelson will explore how the crisis is impacting families across our state and country, and how it is impacting the health and development of children and adolescents. Through understanding the impact of the current challenge, we can be empowered to take part in the solution together.
As many UMRA members may recall, University President Joan Gabel called attention to this crisis when she was the guest speaker for our November 2019 forum. She noted that 42 percent of 18–25 year olds have received a mental health diagnosis, and said that number is estimated to be even higher for our students. “Providing appropriate care is becoming as important as helping them with selecting their classes,” President Gabel said.
Dr. Nelson practices at the M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center. Her clinical interests lie in the area of best practices in the diagnosis and management of severe personality disorders, suicide, and therapeutic communication with people in acute settings.
An honors graduate of the University of Minnesota Morris, Dr. Nelson received her medical degree and her psychiatry residency training from the U of M Medical School. She is the 2018 Minnesota Psychiatric Society "Psychiatrist of the Year" and, together with her brother, George, a former U.S. marine and attorney who practices in the field of child welfare, she has developed an open access podcast called The Mind Deconstructed, which aims to serve the general community to demystify and increase understanding of common mental health conditions.
Dr. Nelson is on Twitter @KazJNelson and can also be found on Facebook.
—Frank Cerra, UMRA president