In response to the urgent need for resources to address the youth mental health crisis in our local communities, Hawai‘i Medical Service Association is investing $125,000 to support five unique programs across the state.
The KIDS COUNT 2022 Hawaiʻi profile found that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on Hawaiʻi’s young people. Nearly 2,200 more youth struggled with anxiety or depression in 2020 than in 2016, an increase of 23%.
“Our teenage population is struggling due to limited access to mental health resources, and we need to work together to support overall health conditions,” said Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association President and CEO Mark M. Mugiishi, M.D., F.A.C.S.
According to Hawaiʻi Health Matters, the most recent data on Hawaiʻi teens who attempted suicide in 2019 show that 3.2% of public high school students reported at least one suicide attempt that required medical attention, compared to 2.5% nationally.
The numbers are even more staggering for Native Hawaiians or when broken down by county. Investments by the Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association will support partner organizations and their work to address root causes of these disparities while providing innovative crisis support.
Mental Health America of Hawaiʻi, an organization that seeks to promote mental health and wellness through education, advocacy, service and access to care statewide, is one of the beneficiaries of this initiative. The funding will help the organization expand the reach of its statewide Youth Suicide and Bullying Prevention program with special emphasis placed on reaching youth and youth-serving adults in rural and isolated parts of the state. Since 2008, that prevention program has trained nearly 30,000 Hawaiʻi youth and youth-serving adults and has evolved to include components like Suicide Prevention 101 and Youth Mental Health First Aid certifications for adults.
“We project that we will reach an additional 2,000 youth and 1,000 youth-serving adults over the course of a year as a direct result of HMSA’s support,” said Bryan Talisayan, executive director of Mental Health America of Hawaiʻi.
Read more at MauiNow.com.
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