Local hospitals and school authorities are sounding the alarm over a troubling surge in young individuals seeking treatment for mental health issues, with this distressing trend seemingly predating the COVID-19 pandemic and exacerbating in its aftermath.
This year has witnessed a distressing increase in feelings of hopelessness among students, according to Marisol Peña, the associate director of The Sky Center, a suicide intervention center located at Ortiz Middle School. The center typically looks to the youth as a source of hope, with their anticipation of graduation and college, but recently, there has been a noticeable decline in this hopefulness.
Peña highlighted that this issue had been emerging before the pandemic, suggesting that it has now reached critical levels, warranting immediate attention. The mental health crisis among young people is of growing concern, as officials grapple with the challenges of identifying and addressing these issues effectively.
