We are two old high school friends, pediatrician Sevde Felek Boyvat MD, and artist/animator, Quinn Burrell. We are excited to share with you a non-fiction comic on the under-recognized adolescent mental health crisis that has been affecting our society during the pandemic. Our goal with this comic is not only to educate others about this issue, but also to help us to advocate for more mental health resources in this population.
On October 19, 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association have joined together to declare a national emergency in children’s mental health. The pandemic’s addition of social isolation, school disruptions, illnesses, loss of caregivers, and economic hardships have quickly exacerbated an already worrisome trend in adolescents’ mental health. The dire need for more resources has persistently been challenged with an overstretched medical system and a national shortage of healthcare workers, leading to delay or even lack of care for thousands of children. Our kids need advocates to listen and speak up with them, as we urge elected officials for more local and federal funding of mental health services in all communities, for kids of all backgrounds. You can read the declaration here: AAP-AACAP-CHA Declaration of a National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Our special thanks to Dr. Samantha House, DO for her tireless efforts on quality improvement, Dr. Steven Schlozman, MD for helping us embrace the voice of the teenager, and Dr. Joel Bradley, MD for his valuable literary creativity.
If you or an adolescent you know is suffering from depression or thoughts of self-harm, please seek help.
Helplines: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, SAMHSA
Youth mental health: National Alliance on Mental Illness
Resources for young adults: Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine
Resources for parents: American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
References:
Racine N, McArthur BA, Cooke JE, Eirich R, Zhu J, Madigan S. Global Prevalence of Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms in Children and Adolescents During COVID-19: A Meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2021;175(11):1142–1150. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.2482
Yard E, Radhakrishnan L, Ballesteros MF, et al. Emergency Department Visits for Suspected Suicide Attempts Among Persons Aged 12–25 Years Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, January 2019–May 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:888–894. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7024e1
Jones SE, Ethier KA, Hertz M, et al. Mental Health, Suicidality, and Connectedness Among High School Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic — Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey, United States, January–June 2021. MMWR Suppl 2022;71(Suppl-3):16–21. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su7103a3
Sevde Felek Boyvat, MD is a board-certified pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock in New Hampshire, with interests in narrative medicine, graphic medicine, and children’s health advocacy. She has published several creative non-fiction pieces in In-House Magazine and organized annual medical Story Slams, The Healers’ Tales, in local and regional communities for residents, fellows, and medical students to share their experiences in healthcare.
Quinn Burrell is a certified scientific illustrator and has spent many years as both an in-house and freelance artist and animator. Quinn has previously developed narrative art for Ci3 at the University of Chicago, a research center dedicated to informing and empowering young people. You can see some of her comic work at https://quinnburrell.com/comics/
This is a wonderful illustration of an unfortunate tragedy in our young peoples’ world. We all need to work to restore hope to this generation.