According to the National Survey of Children’s Health, in 2023, more than 5.3 million adolescents ages 12-17 years had a current diagnosed mental or behavioral condition, with anxiety and depression being the most common. Young people with a current diagnosis were found to be 3 times more likely to be disengaged from school, and 5 times more likely to miss 11 or more days of school for health reasons. What’s even more shocking, is that these youth are also 10 times as likely to experience difficulty making or keeping friends.
So in honor of Mental Health awareness month, we are sitting down with Thespina Godshalk, who is an Administrator for School Based Behavioral Health at Lehigh Valley Health Network, to learn more about the importance of mental health and the resources parents and caregivers can utilize and connect to the young people they care about.
