The Children’s Hospital in Colorado Springs is hosting its first town hall of the year on Tuesday night to provide parents with information on the current state of mental health among children in Colorado. The hospital aims to address mental health concerns before they escalate, after declaring a kids’ mental health state of emergency in 2021.
Dr. Ashley Hayduke, a pediatric psychiatrist at Children’s Hospital in Colorado Springs, has noticed that the youth mental health crisis began before the COVID-19 pandemic and has intensified since then. She has seen an increase in anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and risk of harm to oneself or others among children. In particular, Colorado adolescents aged 11 to 18 have experienced a doubling in their rate of poor mental health since 2018.
The hospital has served almost 10,000 mental health patients in its System of Care alone in 2023. Dr. Hayduke stresses the importance of early identification of children struggling with anxiety and depression so they can start receiving treatment promptly. The sooner they can get help, the better their outcome will be in the long run.
During the virtual Mental Health Townhall on Tuesday, April 23rd from 6-7 p.m., experts will answer questions and provide stress management tips and resources for families dealing with mental health issues related to their children. The event is free and open to the public; families can register online by visiting www.[website].com/mentalhealthtownhall/.
