1 in 5 teenagers suffer with mental health problems. Common mental health issues found in teens are anxiety disorders and mood disorders. Not everyone has access to resources outside of school such as:

• a psychologist
• a psychiatrist 
• a counselor
• supportive parents
• health care

Only 41% of the 3.1 million adolescents that suffered from depression in 2016 received treatment. In New York as of 2017, only 10% of teenagers dealing with depression received mental health treatment. 

We are only teenagers, and some of us never even knew that it wasn't normal to be this sad all the time or be so happy then angry the next second. I see teenagers all the time using unhealthy coping skills because they never learned what a coping skill was or when and how to use them. In 2017, New York reported over 71,000 people under the age 18 were dependent or abusing illicit drugs or alcohol. 

64.1% of youth with major depression did not receive any mental health treatment in 2017.  6 out of 10 of those adolescents were at risk of suicidal thoughts, difficulty in school, and difficulty in having positive relationships. 

Going through a six hour school day without support or having someone to talk to about what is going on is extremely hard. Most large schools don't have time to go through every student every week. Students may not even open up to a guidance counselor because they don't trust them, or don't know how to explain how they are feeling, or are scared of what someone is going to say when they tell a guidance counselor or even a friend how they're feeling. 

Students should have a limited amount of days that they can take off for mental health reasons. Not even a parent knows or understands what their child might be going through. 

If we make change now, it will be beneficial for generations to come. 

Suicide Hotline: 1(800)273-8255

Crisis Textline: text HOME to 741741