Young people are facing a mental health crisis. Now their voices are being heard here.
By Elizabeth B. Kim, Cincinnati Enquirer
School hadn’t started yet, but a balmy August evening found a group of mostly teens gathered around a room that looks a lot like a classroom.
Some were as young as 16, and together, they’re working on a plan to combat Greater Cincinnati’s youth mental health crisis.
The numbers are bleak. One youth in Ohio dies every 34 hours by suicide, according to the latest report from the Ohio Department of Health, and suicide is the second-leading cause of death among Ohioans from 10 to 34 years old.
Black youth face worse mental health outcomes than their white peers, while LGBTQ+ and youth involved in child welfare or juvenile justice also struggle to access mental health support.
Still, the youth are part of a newfound hope: an organization called Hopeful Empowered Youth Greater Cincinnati, also known as HEY!, which started in August 2023.