Commentary: Parents know that we need more than a one-size-fits-all approach. They understand that solutions need to address root causes.
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It’s no secret that children today live in an increasingly complex and changing world. From academic pressures to navigating the digital landscape, young people face challenges that can seem foreign to parents.
There are no quick fixes. Anyone promising otherwise is missing the bigger picture.
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The easy thing for our policymakers to do would be to find an easy scapegoat. Technology and social media have drawn widespread attention in this conversation in recent years, but focusing on a single factor will not solve this challenge. The truth is, addressing youth mental health requires hard work from all of us, and there is no easy route that can address the complexity of this challenge.
Yes, overuse of devices is one part of this challenge and gets significant attention. Young people don’t face challenges in isolation. When we focus too narrowly on one factor, we miss an opportunity to identify meaningful and effective solutions that encompass the complexity of this challenge.
Every child is unique. My two daughters have different needs and talents. They see the world differently and tackle challenges in different ways. That’s a good thing. However, when we don’t consider this and adopt a narrow, one-size-fits-all approach to youth mental health, we risk leaving countless young people behind.
Here’s what works: parents need support to help their children engage in community activities, encourage them to embrace strong mentors such as coaches, explore their extracurricular interests and build healthy relationships with their peers. Educators need resources to identify children who may be struggling and provide them with appropriate guidance and mentorship. Conversations around mental health should become normalized, and observances like Mental Health Awareness Month provide vital opportunities to elevate these discussions.
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Mental health should be integrated into the curriculum, and students should be taught digital literacy to interact appropriately with technology.
The good news is that parents, teachers and mentors already understand this. Research from the Coalition to Empower our Future shows that seven in 10 parents support a comprehensive approach to the youth mental health challenge, and more than 80 percent agree that each young person’s mental health experiences look different.
Parents know that we need more than a one-size-fits-all approach. They understand that solutions need to address root causes such as poverty, food and housing insecurity, social isolation, academic pressures and lingering post-pandemic strain.
As part of a recent event, mental health experts and community leaders spoke about the various ways adults can have a profound effect on youth wellbeing. One aspect that stood out is the importance of filling the gap between when school ends and when families reunite at home. Groups including the Afterschool Alliance, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Soccer Foundation detailed how crucial it is for children to engage in fun, active routines with their peers to enhance social relationship-building and build healthy habits.
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These important conversations emphasized that if we’re serious about tackling this challenge, we cannot make it a check-the-box exercise. We cannot simply throw funding at a problem as important as this, nor can we adopt narrow policy approaches.
This challenge requires a broad, sustained effort and follow-through from all of us — parents, teachers, nonprofit leaders, healthcare professionals, policymakers and young people. Every individual can make a difference in the lives of children, whether through acts of kindness, being more present in kids’ lives or investing in organizations working to foster social connectedness.
By working together, we can strengthen the resources and support systems already working. We can make them more accessible, better coordinated and more visible to families who need them.
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Children deserve comprehensive solutions grounded in evidence and real-world experience. Let’s commit to delivering them.
Carlos Curbelo, R-Florida, is a former member of the House of Representatives and is on the board of directors of the Coalition to Empower our Future. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.