HANOVER, N.H. (WCAX) – A health care summit underway at Dartmouth College has brought together some of the country\u2019s most prominent physicians to focus on the growing crisis of youth mental health.<\/p>\n
In partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, six former U.S. surgeons general who served under Presidents H.W. Bush to Joe Biden addressed mental health among kids with some startling statistics.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne out of five have thought about suicide. Sixteen percent have made a plan. And 9% have accomplished it,\u201d said former Surgeon General Dr. Antonia Novello.<\/p>\n
Each was asked what is contributing to the growing crisis among kids. Common themes include not enough sleep, loneliness, the increasing potency of cannabis use, and ever-present social media.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I didn\u2019t bring that TV to bed with me, the gym with me, to school with me. It didn\u2019t buzz with new headlines that were designed to stoke anxiety and fear,\u201d said former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.<\/p>\n
The group was also asked what could be done about it. Building relationships and community were at the top of the list.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do a lot of talking at them, but sometimes we don\u2019t communicate with them,\u201d said former Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders.<\/p>\n
Dartmouth College President Sian Beilock has made mental wellness a priority since arriving on campus in 2023<\/a> with her Commitment to Care<\/a> initiative. The experts say breaking down stigmas continues to be a challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cHow can we focus more on mental health and wellness and not just mental illness and diagnosis,\u201d said former Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams.<\/p>\n Kit Payson, a junior at Thetford Academy, sat in on the panel discussion with some classmates. \u201cEvery day I hear about awful news and my dad talking about what\u2019s going wrong with the world,\u201d Payson said. \u201cHow cannabis affects the brain and screen time.\u201d<\/p>\n