10 signatures reached
To: Mayor Eric Adams
Urgent- Support Teen Mental Health in NYC!
Dear Mayor Adams-
As you know, there is a severe teen mental health crisis in NYC. According to the CDC, from 2011 to
2021, the rates of New York State youth who persistently felt sad or hopeless increased from 21 percent to 29 percent for
teen boys, and from 36 percent to 57 percent for teen
girls. And in NYC alone, in 2021, 9% of NYC teens reported attempting suicide. This is a devastating situation. We appreciate that you have taken some steps to help address this crisis- such as access to free virtual therapy. But as a City we need to do MUCH, much more.
School are ground zero in this crisis but teens themselves are really the first line of defense. As you know, teens in crisis are most likely to confide in their peers which places much pressure on teens to respond to complex and dangerous situations involving their friends and classmates.
We believe that ALL NYC schools should train their students in how to respond to a crisis involving another young person- more specifically, when to call 911, when to call 988, when to bring in a school administrator, etc. Teens need urgent help and we are letting them down by not providing much needed resources.
We ask you to make this an urgent and top priority -
Worried families, overwhelmed schools, engaged voters.
As you know, there is a severe teen mental health crisis in NYC. According to the CDC, from 2011 to
2021, the rates of New York State youth who persistently felt sad or hopeless increased from 21 percent to 29 percent for
teen boys, and from 36 percent to 57 percent for teen
girls. And in NYC alone, in 2021, 9% of NYC teens reported attempting suicide. This is a devastating situation. We appreciate that you have taken some steps to help address this crisis- such as access to free virtual therapy. But as a City we need to do MUCH, much more.
School are ground zero in this crisis but teens themselves are really the first line of defense. As you know, teens in crisis are most likely to confide in their peers which places much pressure on teens to respond to complex and dangerous situations involving their friends and classmates.
We believe that ALL NYC schools should train their students in how to respond to a crisis involving another young person- more specifically, when to call 911, when to call 988, when to bring in a school administrator, etc. Teens need urgent help and we are letting them down by not providing much needed resources.
We ask you to make this an urgent and top priority -
Worried families, overwhelmed schools, engaged voters.
Why is this important?
Teens are in crisis- NYC must do more to provide support and mental health resources to young people who are on the front line of this devastating situation!