Why Pediatric Mental Health in Arizona Deserves Our Attention
Mental health is a topic that continues to be of persistent attention worldwide, but it is still a prevalent issue worldwide. In the United States in 2017, 7.4% of adolescents self-reported that they had a suicide attempt in the previous year, and 2.4% of adolescents needed medical attention for attempted suicide (Lindow et al., 2020). Children and adolescents are at particular risk of developing mental health issues; in fact, an estimated one in eight young people have a mental disorder (Hards et al., 2022). When assessing aspects of mental health and overall well-being of children and teens in Arizona, it is critical to focus on areas related to self-harm, suicide considerations, plans, and attempts. While Arizona saw an 8% drop in self-reported suicide attempts between 2017 and 2021, there were significant increases in the adolescent-reported rates of self-harm, suicide ideation, and creation of suicide plans (AZDHS, 2024). According to the Arizona Department of H...