A recent study found alarming rates of mental health challenges in young adults in California.
The California Endowment polled nearly 800 Californians ages 18 to 24, and found over 75% of them reported experiencing anxiety in the last year. More than half reported depression, and 31% experiencing suicidal thoughts.
The poll also showed young adults are facing significant barriers to getting help, many saying cost or access stopped them.
Dr. Willough Jenkins, the Psychiatric Emergency and Consultation Liaison Service medical director at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, told KPBS mental health issues for youth were already on an exponential rise before the pandemic.
"What happened is the factors related to the pandemic exacerbated the already existing problem. The pandemic brought all the stresses of isolation, school disruption, social isolation impacts on families," she said. "But the other piece that came along with the pandemic, which is particularly affecting older adolescents, is the issues related to racial injustice, all the political tensions. And then a lot of emphasis was put on climate change."
Dr. Jenkins said Californians are facing other pressures too. "Being in California is difficult in some ways. Cost of living is high and a lot of families are struggling to make ends meet. That means families are maybe working more than one job or working odd hours, and that means they're going to have less time to spend with their children, potentially. And so that's going to have that effect on children and families."
The increase in mental health concerns is pushing some schools to be proactive.
The Escondido Union High School District has been offering high school students mental health support since March. Now, a new mobile resource is allowing them to expand behavioral support.
"There are a lot of visible and invisible barriers that prevent people from getting service," said Wendi Vierra, the director of behavioral health operations at Neighborhood Healthcare. "One of the things we want to do with this clinic is improve health equity. We need to bring services to them to reduce those access barriers like transportation, finances, being able to take time off work."
Behavioral Healthcare will provide licensed therapists giving counseling, with the full support of the Behavioral Health Department.
“Everything has escalated. We have kids with a lot of trauma, a lot of abuse, bullying ... tremendous anxiety and depression," Vierra said.
The mobile health center will travel to each of the five Escondido high schools one day a week. It will start with counseling services and eventually expand to dental and psychiatric care.
"We're trying to create spaces of wellness and the ability for students to self refer for counseling," said Kim Bodie, the Escondido Union High School District social worker.
She says there has been an increase in students reaching out for help, "We think this is a good sign, as mental health literacy seems to be improving with our young people. There’s been so much campaigning and notice around social-emotional well being.”
She hopes talking more about mental health and offering resources will lead to more students getting the help they need.
