ORLANDO, Fla. — Corporate leaders came together in Orlando, trying to address teen mental health. The suicides of three high school students in Seminole County last week have parents, teachers and mental health professionals searching for solutions to protect young ones.
What You Need To Know
Corporate, health and government leaders came together in Orlando to talk about teen mental health after recent suicides
Social media is seen as a major factor affecting youth mental health
Former lawmaker Dick Batchelor advocates for changes in public policy and funding
30 of Orlando’s corporate, health and government leaders spent Monday afternoon looking for answers.
Andrae Bailey led the discussion, trying to help young adults in Generation Z and teens in Gen Alpha.
“It’s multiple factors, including social media, isolation- all of these topics that are hotbeds in our society are adding up to young people struggling,” Bailey said.
Leaders at Monday’s meeting of corporate and government leaders are concerned about the impact of social media on young minds.
“Social media, technology, AI has created a bubble that kind of surrounds our young people, that really the majority of their life is lived in,” Bailey said.
The CDC’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that 20% of high school students who frequently use social media experienced feelings of hopelessness and seriously considered self-harm.
Former state lawmaker and children’s advocate Dick Batchelor is also leading the new Breaking Thru initiative. Batchelor says it makes sense to get company leaders involved in the mental health conversation to spot signs of trouble at work. Batchelor believes it is time to change public policy about teens’ mental health.
“Do we need to change the way we fund mental health funding, for instance?” Batchelor asked. “The Mental Health Association does a phenomenal job, but should we redirect some of those funds to this generation?”
Batchelor and Bailey hope Monday’s discussion will lead to a broader community conversation in the search for solutions.
Editor’s Note: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.