We are excited to share Conversations with Margarita!
Margarita Alegría, PhD, is Chief of the Disparities Research Unit within the Mongan Institute at Mass General. Her research is focused on testing new models of care and interventions for improving health care and eliminating health care disparities for diverse populations.
Dr. Alegría recently started a monthly email series, and we loved it so much we wanted to share each month’s email on Bench Press. If you want to receive Dr. Alegría’s monthly email, be sure to sign up!
Disparities Research Unit
Mongan Institute
Harry G. Lehnert, Jr. and Lucille F. Cyr Lehnert Endowed MGH Research Institute Chair
Mass General Research Institute
Professor of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School[/ultimate_heading]
I’ve been thinking a lot about tennis player Naomi Osaka. You have likely read the headlines about how she recently opted out of a mandatory press conference at a tournament to protect her mental health—and was hit with a $15,000 fine for doing so.
Osaka’s experience has emphasized the fact that society makes it so hard to put our mental health first. While she had the courage and means to challenge the status quo, too many people experiencing depression, anxiety and other mental health issues suffer in silence—especially as we grapple with the lasting effects of COVID-19.
Let’s be clear, we are dealing with a mental health crisis in the United States: from 2000 to 2018, there was a nearly 40 percent increase in deaths by suicide among adults. And 60 percent of youth with major depression did not receive any mental health treatment. These challenges don’t just appear, but rather progress slowly, particularly for children of color. Black and Brown youth have less access to behavioral health resources than their white peers, although resources for all youth and adolescents are extremely limited.
Equipping schools with more counselors and nurses is one way to turn the tide and give young people a stronger mental health foundation. These professionals are trained to spot signs of anxiety, depression and behavioral issues; alert parents and guardians when needed; and connect students and families to resources. The role of school counselors and nurses has never been more important—as we recover from COVID-19, we will need to help our youth manage feelings of isolation, anxiety and depression brought on by the pandemic.
Despite the incredible value school counselors and nurses bring to building our next generation, they are vastly underfunded. The average school nurse works across three schools and funding sometimes has to be pieced together—and 1 in 4 schools don’t have a nurse at all. Though the recommended caseload for one school counselor is 250 students, as of 2019 the average student to counselor ratio was 464 to one. Data from 2013-2014 show that more than 10 percent of U.S. school districts at the time didn’t employ a single school counselor.
A few months ago, I talked to you all about the uncertainty many have felt during the pandemic. Now, as millions in the United States get vaccines, we’re trying to regain a sense of “normal.” But when it comes to our mental health, “normal” isn’t good enough. We all deserve better.
Cariños,
Margarita
Spotlight
Bringing Communities Together to Expand Child Opportunity Outside of Our Nation’s Capital
Just outside of our Nation’s Capital sits Montgomery County, Maryland—home to four of the country’s most diverse cities and more than one million people. Over half of the students in the county are people of color, so in 2019 the Black and Brown Coalition formed to advocate on behalf of Black, Brown, and low-income students.
The group has brought together organizations from all corners of the county to champion this work. It’s organized around the vision that by 2025, “all students, and particularly Black and Brown students, have equitable access to the resources, opportunities, and supports they need to be successful in college, career, and life.”
Just last month, they and the Children’s Opportunity Fund received additional funding to support their Equity Hubs initiative, which has provided childcare and distance learning support to students during the pandemic. I am so inspired to see how they have been able to leverage the expertise and power of so many organizations, uniting around the cause of bringing equitable opportunity to all students.
What I'm Reading
When it comes to the mental health of youth and the impacts of COVID-19, every community is facing unique challenges. Here’s what I’ve read about how a handful of school districts are navigating this crisis.
For Kids with Mental Health Issues the Pandemic Was ‘Fuel to the Fire.’ What Help is On the Way? (Colorado Public Radio)
In May, a group of experts at Children’s Hospital Colorado called a “State of Emergency” over the mental health of kids across the state. Now, the state and federal government have set aside about $35 million to address this crisis—but I wonder, is that enough?
Understand what children and families in Colorado are experiencing >
How Rural School Counselors Confront Life in a ‘Mental Health Desert’ (Oklahoma Watch)
We often hear about health care deserts, but mental health care deserts can be just as pervasive and devastating. I found it eye opening to read about what a group of schools in rural Oklahoma are doing to increase mental health care services for their students—and barriers they face in training and retaining school counselors.
Learn about Project AWARE’s work >
Pandemic School Year Anxieties: In Chelsea, Counselors Navigate Rise In Mental Health Needs (WBUR)
Not far from me in Chelsea, Massachusetts, schools only just reopened for in-person learning for the last month or so of the year. Teachers and counselors have noticed an uptick in body image insecurity and social anxiety among students as they return to school after being gone for more than a year.
Hear what students and staff are facing as they return to the classroom >
Take Action
Listen…
To a group of journalists unpack the Naomi Osaka story on NPR’s 1A.
Explore…
The meditations and other mindfulness resources on the app Headspace.
Find…
Behavioral health treatment resources across the country through SAMHSA’s database.
About the Mass General Research Institute
Massachusetts General Hospital is home to the largest hospital-based research program in the United States. Our researchers work side-by-side with physicians to develop innovative new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent disease.
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