An existing mental health crisis in children and teenagers has only been exacerbated by the pandemic, as CBS’s 60 Minutes reports that Wisconsin has the fifth highest increase of self-harm and attempted suicide in the country with rates being nearly doubled since 2019.
With elongated wait times and limited resources, parents are often desperate and are forced to take their children to the emergency room as opposed to a mental health facility. Vice President of Mental and Behavioral Health at Children’s Wisconsin, Amy Herbst, said Children’s is trying to combat the issue by treating mental health the same as physical health.
One way is through the Craig Yabuki Mental Health Walk-in Clinic, a clinic meant to provide immediate support to families and children experiencing an urgent mental health need. The clinic is open seven days a week from 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and can be reached at 414-337-3400.
One of the main factors driving the crisis is the pandemic, as well as what goes on within our communities. “Kids have been so isolated and kids really thrive on having some sort of regularity to their day, and the pandemic really changed that for kids.” Herbst said “They were missing school, missing their peers and their extracurricular activities and that has really taken a toll on our kids over the past several years.”
Herbst said there is a tremendous need for mental health professionals such as psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists. Additionally, Herbst said at Children’s Wisconsin they are attempting to remove the stigma around mental health as well as putting more resources in place to increase accessibility.
