Let’s Talk New Mexico 8/10 8am: Back to school season can be stressful for students and according to national statistics, kids in the U.S. are experiencing a mental health crisis.
National trends point to increases in behavioral problems, cyberbullying, and school shootings. According to Education Week, there were 51 school shootings in 2022 that resulted in injuries to death, the most since the organization started tracking these events in 2018.
The weight of these events hit close to home as New Mexico ranks 47th in overall youth mental health. About 1 in 5 kids are experiencing depression putting the state in last place. In addition, 30 of the 33 counties are designated as having a healthcare professional shortage.
On this week’s show we’ll discuss mental health in the back-to-school season. We’ll hear from experts, doctors, and students about how we can support students and what resources and solutions are available to mitigate the growing crisis. And we want to hear from you! Did your child head back to school yet? What conversations did your family have around school safety, mental health, or even social media? Email letstalk@kunm.org, leave us a voice message by pressing “record” below, or call in live during the show Thursday morning at 8.
Guests:
- Dr. Kimothi Cain, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
- Nancy Rodriguez, Executive Director, New Mexico Alliance for School-Based Health Care
- Alvin Sallee, Chair, Social Work Workforce Taskforce, Professor Emeritus, New Mexico State University
- Ysidra Tellez, Executive Director, Breaking the Silence New Mexico
