KSHB 41: Children's Mercy, mental health advocates host youth mental health summit
By JuYeon Kim
Children’s Mercy, along with other community leaders, held a youth mental health summit Tuesday morning to address current challenges and disparities.
“The suicide rates among African American children are rising faster than the suicide rates among white children,” said Emily Snow, senior administrative director of behavioral health at Children's Mercy KC.
The Kansas City community is experiencing a mental health crisis that's impacting adults, teens and kids, experts said. Last year, Children's Mercy saw more than 4,000 emergency room visits just for behavioral health issues.
The three biggest barriers are the social stigma around mental health, lack of resources and mental health provider shortage, according to mental health leaders.
“The majority of Missouri and Kansas are mental health professional shortage areas,” Snow said. “We’ll have to adjust our pay and our marketability to bring more people.”
Experts said isolation during the pandemic and social media exposure exacerbated depression and anxiety in children. While more than 15 million American children need mental health resources, only 30-50% are getting the help they need.
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