For Our Youth, Pain Often Hides in Plain Sight
A new PBS documentary shines a light on youth mental health
Research has shown how both our brains and our hearts react when listening to or reading a story. While most of us would readily admit to loving a favorite book or movie, we have an innate human need for these narratives that goes beyond simple escapism. From the earliest, crudest drawings that were etched into the stone walls of caves, we have read, listened to, and told stories throughout history as a means to help us not only empathize with our fellow man, but to help ourselves process the world around us.
Last week, the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden hosted my colleagues from Well Being Trust, including Tyler Norris and Amy Shields, at the White House for an exclusive screening of Hiding In Plain Sight, a two-part documentary film about the mental health crisis facing the youth of America . Produced by the prolific documentarian Ken Burns, the film presents an unfiltered look at the lives and experiences of over 20 young men and women from different backgrounds across the country, all united by their struggles with mental health. While I was unfortunately unable to attend the screening in person, I understand the First Lady shared some beautiful remarks and highlighted some of what President Biden’s administration has done - and still needs to do - to help our children heal.
We know our nation’s youth are in the midst of an unprecedented mental health crisis. Existing surveys indicate anywhere from 13 to 20 percent of adolescents in the U.S. experience some form of mental health struggle, with anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders like ADHD being the most commonly reported. Pediatric emergency rooms have reported massive increases in visits by children in the throes of a behavioral health episode. And as we sadly noted in our recent Pain In the Nation report, children under 17 saw the highest increase in deaths by suicide in 2020.
With that in mind, I would like to present you with a bit of a homework assignment (don’t worry, it’s the kind that involves kicking your feet up on the couch).
I would highly encourage all of you to watch Hiding In Plain Sight. Directors Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers have truly done a brilliant job showcasing the ups and downs that these young people experienced as they navigated life with their respective mental health conditions.
I can’t promise this series will always be an easy watch, but I can promise it is an important one. Addressing this crisis requires empathy, and empathy must start with increased awareness. So please, set aside the time, and if you can, get some friends and family to watch, as well. It may even give you or someone you know the insight needed to start to collectively chart a better path forward for the sake of our children’s health and futures.
And if you were the kind of student who always looked for extra credit, I would challenge you to partake in the power of storytelling by sharing your own experience with a loved one – or better yet, listening to their story. And for extra, extra credit, consider what we discussed last week – the importance of taking action to help those around you who may need help.