It might not seem like much, but the more we learn about depression, the more we might be able to do for more people. That’s why the article linked above gives me some hope. We need more information from research, from professionals, and from those with lived experience if we are going to make a dent in treating depression. Lives are at stake.
Ben points out that the Child Tax Credit was expanded to assist poor families with pandemic-related economic hardships in 2021.
The rate of childhood poverty dropped to historic lows.
Then it went away. And, well, what else would you expect?
According to NPR, “…A year ago, child poverty hit a historic low of 5.2%. The latest figures [a year after the child tax credits expired] put it at 12.4%, the same as the overall poverty rate. The surge happened as record inflation was rising and a lot of pandemic relief was running out, but Census officials and other experts say a key was the child tax credit.”
The parents trying to navigate the maze of mental healthcare while also trying to work to help pay for the care that winds up not being covered and be there for their other children as well. It’s a lot. All of that stress isn’t good for anyone’s health, mental and physical. Imagine trying to support a child with getting mental healthcare while also needing your own care, or dealing with illnesses.
It’s a mess. I don’t envy parents who find themselves in this position. If you know any parents in this boat, maybe see what they need. Find some way to take a little stress off. Provide a meal or two, run some errands for them, etc. They need it more than they will probably ever admit.
Casey calls out those of us who would say “love is love” and support our LGBTQ friends and family members without standing up and doing what we can to actually make this world safer for them. I’ll go one further. If we want to call ourselves mental health advocates and advocates for trauma survivors we need to do what we can to push for a world that is safe for everyone. We can’t heal when we don’t feel safe, and for too many people in this world, they have no reason to feel safe.
We need to advocate for a world that is safe for them too.
The bottom line? We can all play a role in improving mental health outcomes for ourselves and the people around us. We change the world one solid relationship at a time and we build those by communicating.
To believe we can solve the teen mental health crisis by forcing kids off social media and doing nothing about all these other things is foolish.
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