HOUSTON — Texas ranks near the bottom among states when it comes to the prevalence of youth mental health issues and access to care. An initiative in Houston’s public schools is looking to turn that around, connecting students with counseling services and other resources.
Experts say despite the challenges, young people are no longer staying silent about their struggles and are instead increasingly open to seeking help.
“What we are realizing and what we know is that our students are reaching out and they’re flagging that they need the mental health support,” said Najah Callander, deputy chief of family and community partnerships for the Houston Independent School District (ISD).
That willingness to ask for help was a central theme during a recent Houston Community Media briefing, where educators, counselors and researchers discussed both the challenges facing Houston’s young people and the growing efforts to support them.
The data presented during the discussion underscored why many experts view youth mental health as one of the region’s most pressing challenges.
Mental health indicators
Katharine Harris, a fellow in drug policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, presented findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which tracks student health and behavioral trends.
According to Harris, nearly 42% of Houston ISD students surveyed reported feeling sad or hopeless to the point that they stopped participating in regular activities. The survey also found that 14% reported attempting suicide.
“We have an increase in students who report having considered suicide, having made a plan for it or having attempted it,” Harris said.
Beyond mental health indicators, the survey found that approximately 16% of students reported being bullied on campus, while 14% reported being bullied online. About one in five students said they had missed school because they felt unsafe. Those concerns were reported more frequently among female students, Black and Latino students, and students who identify as LGBTQ+.
Harris said the statistics point to a broader challenge that extends beyond individual schools.
“One of the reasons that I would call it a crisis is because not only do we have this problem, but we don’t have people really, at a large-scale level, working on solutions,” she said.
Sunrise Centers
In response, Houston ISD has expanded support services through its Sunrise Centers initiative, which connects students and families with counseling, healthcare, food assistance and other resources. Callander said district surveys conducted after the pandemic found that more than half of students reported experiencing some type of mental health challenge, helping shape the district’s approach. Last year, Sunrise Centers provided more than 2,700 hours of mental health services.
For therapist Sarah Howell, who works extensively with immigrant youth, trauma survivors and families throughout southwest Houston, one message surfaces repeatedly in conversations with young people:
“See me.”
Howell said many young people are searching for meaningful connections with trusted adults while navigating serious issues that can leave them feeling isolated and misunderstood.
Asked what helps most, Howell’s answer was simple.
“Relationship is my answer,” she said.
She stressed the value of consistent adult presence in a young person’s life.
“Being able to see people every day, not for therapy every day, but to have contact, to be a consistent presence, makes a difference,” Howell said.
Continued collaboration
Throughout the discussion, panelists agreed that addressing youth mental health will require continued collaboration among schools, families, healthcare providers and community organizations. The statistics presented during the briefing painted a sobering picture, but speakers also pointed to a generation increasingly willing to speak openly about its struggles.
For Callander, that willingness to ask for help remains one of the strongest reasons for optimism.
“To be able to raise your hand and say, ‘I need something I’m not getting,’ gives me a lot of hope,” she said.
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