Photo courtesy of kappanonline.org

By David L. Snelling
South Florida Times

MIAMI – Isolation, depression, substance abuse and online gambling are among the warning signs for mental health issues for children.

To help parents better understand and identify mental health problems their children are experiencing, a non-profit organization has launched a new program designed to help them respond as soon as possible to prevent harm.

Orlando-based Breaking Thru announced the debut of Parent Pledge, a parent-led initiative that provides families with tools to better understand the pressures young people are facing that could lead to a mental health crisis.

The organization, which also reaches out to parents and children statewide, said bullying at school or on the playground, sleepless nights, anxiety and loss of appetite are also linked to mental health issues.

To launch the program, Breaking Thru conducted a study which discovered the symptoms among children compared to adults who are also suffering from mental health issues.

The analysis suggests Florida teens average more than eight and a half hours of entertainment screen time each day.

The report also cites research linking heavy social media use with higher rates of depression and anxiety symptoms and poorer sleep.

Online gambling is another concern.

The report says more than one in three U.S. youth ages 11 to 17 have bet on sports, with rates approaching half among boys by age 17.

As part of the mental health prevention program, the Parent Pledge is urging parents to make three commitments: continue learning about the pressures children face, build relationships where children feel comfortable being honest and take action when warning signs appear.

Families can also access warning-sign checklists, conversation guides and other resources through ParentPledge.net

“A child’s mental health is shaped by many interacting factors: temperament, family relationships, peers, school conditions, social and economic stress, trauma, online experiences, sleep, substance exposure, and access to effective care,” the study says. “Parents and other trusted adults are among the most important protective influences.”

Breaking Thru also said that a 2024 meta-analysis of 20 randomized trials found a modest but statistically significant overall benefit when parents were included in adolescent psychological interventions compared with the same interventions delivered to adolescents alone.

“A parent’s relationship with their child is one of the strongest protective forces available,” said Andrae Bailey, co-founder and President of Breaking Thru.

Another sign of mental health struggles for teens is wandering off for days without their parents knowing their whereabouts.

Parents often report their children missing to the police and some are found safe and returned home.

Others catch a ride with strangers which puts them at risk for sexual predators behavior, and drug and alcohol abuse.

“We taught a generation not to get into cars with strangers,” Bailey said. “Today exploitation can begin in a game chat, a direct message, a social feed, or an account that appears to belong to another teenager. In financial sextortion, the offender may never intend to meet the child at all: the goal can be money, obtained through fear and shame.”

According to the latest Mental Health Stats data, about 16 percent of Florida teens (ages 13–17) experience a diagnosable mental health disorder in a given year.

The Black teen population nationwide is impacted more for mental health disorders than their counterparts from white communities.

According to Worldmetrics, an independent mental health psychology organization, about 81 percent of Black youth report family as a key protective factor against mental health struggles.

About 62 percent of Black youth avoid seeking mental health help due to fear of being labeled ‘crazy’ and are 40 percent more likely to delay seeking help for mental health issues due to costs.

In addition, Black youth are 25 percent more likely to use marijuana as a coping mechanism for stress linked to mental health struggles.

In 2022, 7.3 percent of Black youth (12-17) reported past-month marijuana use, lower than White youth (11.2 percent) but higher than Hispanic youth (6.1 percent).

The worst point of mental health struggles is mulling suicide.

Black adolescents (12-17) had a 2021 suicide attempt rate of 9.7 per 100,000, lower than White adolescents (14.4 per 100,000).

In 2022, Black youth aged 15-24 had the highest suicide completion rate among all racial/ethnic groups (17.2 per 100,000).

Blacks adolescents (12-17) had a 2021 suicide attempt rate of 9.7 per 100,000.

The local school districts are doing their part to address mental health struggles among their students.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools offers a wide range of mental health programs, services, and educational initiatives for students, supported by its Department of Mental Health Services and partner organizations.

M‑DCPS’s Department of Mental Health Services coordinates district and community resources to deliver evidence‑based mental health care and treatment for students.

The program also includes mental health screenings and assessments for students and families, counseling services through school‑based guidance counselors, school social workers, and mental health teams.

Bullying prevention and sensitivity training on race, gender, socioeconomic status, language, and disability are also being addressed for mental health struggles for students.

In 2024,M-DCPS was awarded a $1 million U.S. Department of Justice grant to improve school climate and expand mental health support interventions for students at 30 middle schools.

The grant funded a three-year initiative with Rachel’s Challenge to bring the nationally recognized, evidence-based program to over 23,000 students.

Former Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jose L. Dotres, who officially departed two weeks ago, had emphasized that student success “starts with mental well-being” and that the district is “completely changing the game” in how it addresses mental health.

“Mental health is treated with the same urgency as physical health — the district is not waiting for students to ask for help, but is bringing support directly into schools through its Office of Mental Health Services,” he said. Every child is connected to trained professionals — more than 135 mental health coordinators serve campuses, alongside counselors, social workers, and psychologists

Broward and Palm Beach counties school districts also offer mental health programs for their students.