It is easy to see what happens when schools fail to teach the basics of writing, math, science, and citizenship: young adults who struggle to communicate, reason, or find gainful employment. It’s harder to see what happens when young people don’t develop self-esteem and resilience, but once you do see the mental health challenges young adults are facing, they are hard to unsee.
As a social worker who is director of services for people living with disabilities for Brooklyn Community Services (BCS), I’ve been seeing plenty of this in recent years. While the education system is taking steps to help children now in school, it’s just as important to care for the young adults struggling since leaving school. As a society, we have dropped the ball on caring for our young people.
One of the biggest obstacles mental health service providers face now has been increasing outreach to young adults and ensuring that programs meet their unique needs.
Young adults in New York City are especially vulnerable to mental health challenges, experiencing higher levels of social isolation, hospitalization, and severe psychological distress than older adults. New Yorkers ages 18 to 24 report more unmet mental health needs than other populations, and even young people actively enrolled in mental health programs often feel underserved compared to their older peers.
This pains me. I once wanted to be a pediatrician, until I gravitated to working with people who had mental health challenges or mental disabilities. In my 20 years in the field, I’ve seen the particular challenges young people face and how they develop.
By the time many people get to college or a first job, they have already endured much. They may not recognize their issues as mental health challenges, in part because the bullying and teasing they experience as kids trains them to avoid getting help. It’s challenging for younger people to say, “Yes, I need help.” They don’t understand what is happening to them, so they act out and develop behavioral issues.
My organization is one of many in the city that sees the consequences. People in their 20s make up almost 30% of those seeking help from my program — the largest percentage among all ages. Seeking help is only the first step. We also recognize that keeping young people enrolled in the services they need is its own unique challenge. This is why we must ensure that young adults have access to quality mental health care and that this care caters to their distinct needs.
Although anxiety and depression levels are high across all age groups, particularly in an increasingly online world, younger New Yorkers are especially prone to feeling lonely and rejected. (Earlier this year, in fact, New York City became the first major U.S. city to designate social media as a public health hazard.)
It’s all about having the conversation, whether it’s with a peer going through their own struggles, a mentor, or a mental health professional like me. It’s not about the diagnosis, but rather the person and their strengths. Remind a young person who has struggled of the progress they have made. A lot of times people don’t hear much that’s positive, nut when they do, and also get the help they need, they grow strong. In time, they’re going to empower others.
Rose Sauls is director of Brooklyn Community Services’ Division of Services for People Living with Disabilities.
