I am a representatives of Crossroads C5, a leadership program that empowers youth to unlock their potential and positively impact the world. I am making this petition to bring attention to mental health. 

Mental health affects almost everyone and when there is a problem that affects so many, it needs to be addressed because it can have a negative effect on our community that leads to a host of other problems. Lack of supportive resources for mental health and neglect also exacerbate the problem. We care because mental health is just as important as physical health and the issue is personal for a lot of us and we have seen how bad it can become.

Therapists and other mental health professionals (counselors, more mental health training for teachers, etc) can help with this issue. Some local YMCA’s can also help with this issue, along with Mindfulness Moments in schools (a time to clear your mind, refocus, and relax). 

Poor mental health can result in an increase of violence, drug abuse, poverty, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, depression, eating disorders, severe stress (related to physical health). You have a duty to care about your constituents. Mental health has affected everyone more especially since the pandemic. It's important to address the problem before it gets worse, or it snowballs into other problems.    

7.4% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.5 million) have a diagnosed behavior problem. 7.1% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.4 million) have diagnosed anxiety. 3.2% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 1.9 million) have diagnosed depression.

20.6% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2019 (51.5 million people). This represents 1 in 5 adults.
5.2% of U.S. adults experienced serious mental illness in 2019 (13.1 million people). This represents 1 in 20 adults.
16.5% of U.S. youth aged 6-17 experienced a mental health disorder in 2016 (7.7 million people)
3.8% of U.S. adults experienced a co-occurring substance use disorder and mental illness in 2019 (9.5 million people)

There are many different mental disorders, with different presentations. They are generally characterized by a combination of abnormal thoughts, perceptions, emotions, behaviour and relationships with others.
Mental disorders include: depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses, dementia, and developmental disorders including autism.
There are effective strategies for preventing mental disorders such as depression.
There are effective treatments for mental disorders and ways to alleviate the suffering caused by them. Access to health care and social services capable of providing treatment and social support is key.

If we don't address the problem and try and find a solution, things are only going to get worse from here.