jews d
on the cover
in
the
Shining the Light
A
teen
n
merica is in the throes of a
It’s time to take the issue of teen
teen mental health crisis.
mental health — and its accompany-
Suicide is the second leading
ing stigma — out of the shadows and
cause of death for those ages 10-24 in
into the light. Many organizations in
the United States. The number of drug
the Jewish community are taking on
overdose deaths in that age group has
this goal, from the Jewish Federation,
tripled since 1999, and today’s young
Jewish Family Service, Kadima,
people are more likely to abuse opioids
Friendship Circle, A Single Soul, and the
than street drugs except for marijuana.
list goes on. However, no one organiza-
Thirty-two percent of high school stu-
tion can solve the problem on its own.
dents in Michigan report symptoms of
It will take the entire community, work-
depression; 17 percent report suicidal
ing together, to make a difference —
thoughts.
including the Jewish News.
Metro Detroit’s Jewish community
In 2018, the JN will be “shining the
is not immune. A 2016 community
light” on the topic of teen mental
assessment study funded by the spotlight o health. Throughout the year, we
Jewish Fund and completed
will bring you not only stories
mental health
with the Jewish Federation of
of communal and congre-
Metropolitan Detroit revealed
gational efforts to solve this
that teens in Jewish Detroit are
problem as well as educational
struggling with mental health
stories like this one, but also
concerns. According to the survey,
personal stories — both inspiring
52 percent of teen respondents said
and tragic — from people living with
they or their friends were struggling
this challenge and stories written by
with anxiety, and 42 percent of respon-
teens chronicling their struggles.
dents said they struggle with low self-
Whenever you see the “Spotlight on”
esteem, sadness or depression. Other
logo in the JN pages, you’ll know the
concerns cited by teen respondents
topic touches on teen mental health.
were eating disorders (25 percent),
Readers can also visit www.
bullying (22 percent) and drug use (17
thejewishnews.com and type “shining
percent).
the light” in the search bar to see all
We all know families devastated by
the stories in one place.
suicide, overdose deaths or who are
We invite readers’ feedback. If you
struggling to help their children and
have a story to share or a question you
family members deal with a mental ill-
want answered on this topic, send an
ness. Too often these families struggle
email to jheadapohl@renmedia.us.
alone, their problems kept in the dark
Our goal? We want readers of the JN
because of the stigma mental illness
to recognize the symptoms of a mental
still holds on our society — that mental health crisis, know when and where
illness is a personal failing, a result of
they should seek out help, and to help
bad parenting, something you should
erase the stigma from those suffering
be able to just “snap out of” on your
mental health challenges. Together, we
own. None of that is true, of course.
can make a difference. •
Teens &
Mental Health
When should parents be concerned?
Experts share some warning signs.
JACKIE HEADAPOHL MANAGING EDITOR
W
and deserves the same quality of support.”
e don’t often talk about teen
Amen.
mental health around the dinner
We talked to some experts on what par-
table or on the phone with friends
ents should be on the lookout for.
or colleagues. Maybe we fear being labeled
“bad parents” if our teens are diagnosed
with mental health issues. It’s something
RECOGNIZING A PROBLEM
we must have done wrong. Maybe whatever
The first place you should look is your own
our kids are going through is just a “phase,”
family history, according to Shari-Beth
something they’ll “get over” in time.
Goldman, chief program officer at Jewish
In the meantime, thousands of kids are
Family Service. “Mental health problems
taking their own lives in the U.S. each year.
are generally a combination of both envi-
We can’t let this stigma continue.
ronmental factors and genetics,”
The pages of the JN have reflected
she says. “Illnesses such as bipolar
this reluctance to address the issue.
disorder, depression, ADHD and
It wasn’t until 1985 that the term
substance use disorders have famil-
“teen suicide” first appeared in our
ial patterns. Knowing this history
pages. From that time until 2016,
will help you know what to watch
“teen suicide” can be found only
out for.”
24 times. We only found four refer-
Environmental factors can
ences in recent years specifically
include exposure to trauma, such
to “teen depression” in the Detroit
as family problems, bullying, social
Shari-Beth
Jewish News digital archives. This
problems. “Any can trigger depres-
Goldman
just reinforces the notion that until
sion, especially if there is a genetic
recently, teen mental health has
predisposition,” Goldman says.
been rather a taboo topic in our
Goldman adds that changes in
local Jewish community.
sleeping or eating, either more or
The first step in eliminating a stig-
less, and nightmares can be warning
ma is to talk about it. As teen men-
signs. “Parents know their children
tal health advocate and Duchess of
best,” she says. “If they notice severe
Cambridge Kate Middleton says,
or abrupt changes from what’s
“A child’s mental health is just as
normal for their child that lasts for
Jean Nemenzik
important as their physical health
a few weeks, it’s time to do some-
continued on page 12
10
February 1 • 2018
jn