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THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2019
Community comes together to discuss teen mental health
Survey results According to results from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 12.8 percent of adolescents aged 12-17 had a period of two weeks or longer in the past 12 months when they experienced a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities. In the 2018 Illinois Youth Survey of DuPage County adolescents, 15 percent of 10th graders and 15 percent of 12th graders reported seriously considering a suicide attempt during the past 12 months. In that same survey, 26 percent of 8th graders, 29 percent of 10th graders, and 31 percent of 12th graders reported feeling so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks in a row or more during the past year that they stopped participating in some of their usual activities. McFarland also reviewed local hospitalization and emergency room data as it related to teen mental health. Addison has the fifth highest
hospitalization rate due to pediatric mental health and the third highest hospitalization rate due to adolescent suicide and intentional self-injury in DuPage County. Addison’s rate for emergency room visits due to adolescent mental health is the highest in DuPage County—84.7 per 10,000 compared to the DuPage rate of 55.1 per 10,000. The data surprised many On the Table participants. To the commu-
nity organization leaders who work an issue in Addison.” with teens on a regular basis, the staElizabeth Lynch, head of teen sertistics helped define something they vices at the Addison Public Library, already see. said they see close to 100 junior high students each day, so the statistics hit Attendees respond close to home. “We have firsthand experience “Those numbers are all individual seeing teens struggle [with mental kids to us,” she said. “It feels like we health],” said April Difatta, youth are seeing their mental health strugprogram coordinator for NAMI gles more and more.” DuPage. “We know it’s a big probAt the end of her presentation, lem. I didn’t know it was this big of McFarland reiterated that there is
hope: the numbers demonstrate a problematic trend, but there is room to improve. As the lights came back on, teens, parents, business and community leaders, and library staff mingled at each table, sharing personal anecdotes and expressing concerns about mental health as it related to their own lives and loved ones.
See MENTAL HEALTH, Page 4
SUBMITTED PHOTO Addison Independent
Lincoln students get new books from UPS store
Every student at Lincoln School had the opportunity on Wednesday to select and go home with a brand new book, thanks to a donation from the Addison UPS store. UPS reps Gene Foxen and Megan Markovic came to Lincoln with boxes filled with a variety of books—fiction, non-fiction, English, Spanish—for the kindergarten through 5th grade students to choose to enjoy over the coming summer months. Lincoln School is the tenth school to receive books donations from the Addison store this year. Earlier this school year, students at Fullerton and Wesley Schools were recipients of the store’s generosity. More photos inside this issue.
Inside:
Police Reports...........6 Sports �������������������� 17 Out & About.......... 13 Classifieds..............16
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On Tuesday, May 14, the Addison Public Library hosted its first-ever On the Table event, which sought to bring community members and organizations together to discuss an important local issue and to brainstorm solutions. The inaugural evening’s theme was Teen Mental Health. “Mental health is close to my heart and intertwined in my daily life,” said parent Jennifer Wachholz-Bero, a participant in the event. “I’m very interested in seeing how we can protect kids in the community.” Becky McFarland, community initiatives coordinator at the County Health Department, opened the evening with a presentation on teen mental health statistics in the Addison area, compiled with data from the Impact DuPage website and the Illinois Youth Survey.
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