APA is joining a cross section of organizations focused on children’s health care, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, calling attention to the national emergency of children’s mental health. The Sound the Alarm for Kids campaign aims to amplify the urgent need to address children and adolescent mental health at the national level.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the behavioral health and emotional well-being of children and adolescents, worsening many of the disturbing trends we have been seeing for several years. The impacts on youth from vulnerable populations, including communities of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and those with disabilities, have been particularly deleterious,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, CEO of the American Psychological Association. “The American Psychological Association is proud to join the Sound the Alarm campaign to call attention to the national emergency of children’s mental health and urge lawmakers to enact policies that will address this critical issue in equitable and sustainable ways.”
This follows APA’s recent advocacy efforts with both Congress and the Biden administration related to children’s mental health, including Evans testifying before Congress on the state of child and adolescent mental health; APA recommendations being included in the U.S. Department of Education’s school reopening guidance; bipartisan legislation based on APA priorities being introduced in the House and Senate; APA’s responding to the U.S. surgeon general's office regarding evidence-based recommendations to address the crisis; and last summer’s Education Advocacy Summit focusing on ways to expand school-based mental health services. In the coming weeks, APA will continue to engage psychologists in this advocacy by calling on Congress to increase funding for federal programs that study the behavioral health of youth and expand access to services, both in school-based and other community settings.
For more information, contact Kenneth Polishchuk.