The state of young minds The news headlines are very disturbing. "Focus on mental illness after Oregon mass shooting." "Police confront a rising number of mentally ill suspects.” "New York City launching $30 million mental-health initiative." "Boys more likely to have antipsychotics prescribed, regardless of age." "Minority youth: Needs for mental health services grow with population.” "Mental health disorders are the most common diseases of childhood." In its Children's Mental Health Report, the Child Mind Institute reported that of the 74.5 million children in the United States, an estimated 17.1 million have or have had a psychiatric disorder—more than the number of children diagnosed with cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined. The Columbia Links I-Team addresses these issues and more in its wide-ranging white paper report on mental illness among juveniles, titled "On the Edge/Undiagnosed and Untreated: Teens and Mental Illness." This summer, the I-Team, comprising five Chicago high school students, spent weeks reporting and writing articles that explore such topics as teens selling their ADHD medicines to other teens, the role of the African-American church in fighting or hindering the treatment of
mental illness, how theatrical productions are lifting the curtain on mental illness and sparking discussions, how the Chicago Public Schools treat students with mental illness, barriers to mental health care and how lead paint poisoning, found mostly in African-American and Hispanic neighborhoods, is linked to neurological damage and low IQs. Black boys also suffer from microaggressions in which others automatically assume they are criminals, affecting their self-esteem. Why did the I-Team choose this topic? The student journalists said they have interacted with many students with mental illness, in schools and in their communities. Some get help; many do not. The I-Team members also wondered what happens to youth who are constantly bombarded by violence, who act out in violent ways and who are entrapped in the school-to-prison pipeline, incarcerated and then released to fend for themselves. The I-Team also wanted to explore why more isn’t being done to address mental illness among juveniles. At the end of this report, they have provided solutions that will help at-risk students, their families and their communities. The I-Team hopes to spark a citywide dialogue about how to recognize mental illness and how to help our relatives, friends and others who are facing mental health challenges.
The Columbia Links Staff
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