Along with COVID-19, we are concurrently experiencing a behavioral health epidemic with the capacity to devastate a generation. Behavioral health, often used interchangeably with mental health, encompasses a broad range of conditions including anxiety, depression and ADHD, as well as psychiatric illnesses like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and substance use disorders. The American Academy of Pediatrics has declared a national state of emergency in child and adolescent mental health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention evidence shows the proportion of emergency department visits for mental health increased significantly for children in 2020 compared to 2019.
Kathleen Goodwin, MD
