Menendez, Gottheimer Meet with Students, Advocates, Health Care Professionals to Discuss Rise in Youth Mental Health Issues

HACKENSACK, N.J.- U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.-05) today held a roundtable discussion to hear the experiences of young adults living with mental health issues, how health care professionals are working to help and how the federal government can better fund and support mental health services. While youth mental health has always been an issue, the pandemic has only exacerbated the problem. As a result, the nation is in the midst of a critical point in this crisis, as recognized by the U.S. Surgeon General.

"The mental health challenges facing our youth is an issue, and I cannot stress this enough, we are at a critical moment," said Sen. Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy. "In fact, if you pick up any newspaper - or more likely, open up your social media newsfeed - you will see story after story about this public health crisis and its devastating toll. Whether it is a rise in eating disorders, anxiety, depression, or in the worst and most tragic cases - the loss of young people from suicide - we know that this growing crisis started long before the pandemic."

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"It's clear that so many of our young people across our nation are facing a mental health crisis. It's a five alarm fire, and one that was only exacerbated by the pandemic that totally disrupted their lives and routines, and pulled our children away from friends, school, sports, and loved ones. On top of that, too many children and students are bullied at school and online, including through social media like TikTok and Snapchat. Too many are harmed, whether it be their academic performance, or physical and psychological harm. And for far too many, they may not see a solution," said Rep. Gottheimer. "That's why we must all come together, like we're doing here today, to support our children and students. It's also why I'm leading bipartisan legislation to expand access to school mental health services and address the drastic shortage of mental health professionals - so that students in North Jersey and nationwide can get the support they need."

According to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year, with 72,000 people aged 12-17 suffering from depression in just New Jersey alone. In the first half of 2021 alone, children's hospitals reported cases of self-injury and suicide in ages 5-17 at a 45% higher rate than during the same timeframe in 2019.

The roundtable was held at Hackensack Meridian Hospital and participants included Hackensack Mayor John Labrosse, Bob Garrett, President and CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health, Shelby Klein, Division Director of Bergen County Department of Mental Health Services, Matt Chrystal, a suicide prevention advocate, and adult and youth representatives from Hunter's World and St. Benedict's Preparatory School.

CLICK TO WATCH ENTIRE ROUNDTABLE

In recent months, the Senate Finance Committee has held hearings on youth mental health and is planning to develop a package of policies to address mental health in America. During one the hearings, the Senator noted the mental health disparity that exists in communities of color and sought answers on how the government can better target resources for minority youth and ensure health care and child care providers are equipped to handle these unique challenges.

At another hearing, Sen. Menendez highlighted his bill, The Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act, which would address growing issues of suicide and mental health facing young people, particularly in socially and economically disadvantaged communities that have disproportionately faced disparities in access to mental health treatment and outcomes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also found that suicide remains the second leading cause of death among teens aged 15-19, with the suicide death rate among Black youth increasing faster than any other racial or ethnic group according to a report published by the Congressional Black Caucus.

Furthermore, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, Black and Latino children have witnessed more illness and death during the pandemic than other children, and during this same period the CDC found that Black and Latino groups across all ages are reporting higher rates of symptoms of anxiety and depression than their white counterparts. The rates among youth have been even more alarming, which exhibited a 24% increase in the proportion of children going to emergency health departments for mental health care in the first six months of the pandemic compared to the same period in 2019.

In February, Sens. Menendez and John Thune (R-S.D.) introduced the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) School Behavioral Health Incentive Act. This bipartisan legislation would encourage states to develop health services initiatives that address behavioral health needs in schools.

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