Last updated on November 23, 2022
Earlier this year, in February, UNLV (University of Las Vegas Nevada) published a study in which it was found that Nevada was dead last. Dead last means that Nevadans have the least access to mental health care and the highest prevalence of mental illness in all of the U.S. Furthermore, Nevada is also in dead last for Overall Youth Mental Health. Some of the criteria analyzed by the researchers were percent of youth “with a major depressive episode”, “with substance abuse disorders”, and “who received consistent care”. Not only this, but a count done in 2017 shows that there are 13 psychologists per 100,000 citizens in Nevada, proof that mental health treatments are less available than most other states. As a high-schooler and a citizen of Nevada, this does not sit right with me.
“Life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change” – Jim Rohn. It is of utmost importance, that if one thing is learned, it would be we are the change. This change cannot be left for “someone else” to do, otherwise nothing will be done. As students, and Nevandans, who have the lowest access to care for mental health, we need to take more care and pride in our ability as citizens to make our lives, and the lives of those after us, better. Some students have already been taking action. Hope Means Nevada is a non-profit organization with a teen committee. Students in high-school have managed to help pass the Nevada Senate Bill 249 in the 2021 Legislative session, granting students three mental health days off from school. To most high-school students, the real world seems like a dangerous, unknown place that should be avoided, but as seen through the teen committee, the “real world” is a place where anyone, even students, can make a change.
Maybe you are a busy person, as school, sports, extracurriculars, and college prep take a large amount of time, so perhaps it is not practical to have as large a commitment as Hope Means Nevada had. This does not, however, mean that you should disregard this and leave it up to others. Instead, try to do other things to improve mental health in Nevada. For example, starting a club is a great way to increase awareness and decrease stress in our communities. At my school, I have started a club called NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illnesses); its main goal is to reduce stigma around mental illness, produce a stress relieving environment, and to provide opportunities for students to help their community in ways specific to mental illness. Starting a club is a great way to promote change, but this is still a large commitment. Joining an already existing mental health club or donating change is still a contribution.
Of course, not all possible activities to support mental health movements are listed, but these were just a few examples. As students, our possibilities and availability are limited, but our responsibilities and priorities should still be the same as adults concerning mental illness. Let our generation be the one to make the change. Let our generation be the one to take charge. Let our generation be the last to suffer from these illnesses.
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