Sixth survey finds that parents and educators
play critical, complementary roles in supporting the
mental health of adolescents
To address the national youth mental health
crisis, both trusted resources are confident they can get
adolescents help
WOONSOCKET, R.I., Sept. 8,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent CVS Health®
(NYSE: CVS)/Morning Consult survey of American parents and
educators of adolescents (age 13-17) found that both groups play a
critical role in adolescents' lives as a go-to resource for
conversations around mental health and support for getting
care.
Mental Health Concerns for Parents
and Educators
Key findings include:
- Educators report feeling concerned about adolescents' mental
health (76%) significantly more than parents (43%).
- When asked if a child has ever approached them about a mental
or emotional concern, more educators (78%) said yes, compared to
parents (58%).
- However, almost half of parents (49%) say they initiate
conversations about mental health with their child, compared to a
quarter of educators (22%).
Fortunately, almost all parents (94%) and educators (94%) are
confident they would be able to find appropriate support if they
were concerned the adolescent was experiencing a mental or
emotional health issue.
"Young people continue to face a mental health crisis, but they
are not facing it alone. Most are turning to the adults in their
lives for help—both at home and at school," said CVS Health
President and Chief Executive Officer Karen
S. Lynch. "To increase our attention on adolescents' mental
health, we have launched new programs to reach them and their
families directly, and resources to help parents and caregivers
better understand mental distress and available support. Mental
health can, and should, become a part of everyday conversation in
the classroom, during lunch hour and at the dinner table."
When parents and educators are concerned that a child is
experiencing a mental or emotional health issue, the CVS
Health/Morning Consult survey also found that both would,
overwhelmingly, speak directly to the child, reach out to one
another or seek help from a mental health professional.
Adolescents Face New Stressors
Today
The survey revealed prevalent and emerging challenges that
adolescents face today on their mental health:
- Educators cited family dynamics and relationships (94%),
self-esteem (91%), bullying/social dynamics (85%) and social media
usage (83%) as the top negative impacts on children's mental
health.
- Parents most often cited academic pressure (52%), self-esteem
(51%), pandemic-related stress (48%) and bullying/social dynamics
(43%) as having negative impacts on their children's mental
health.
- Most educators (72%) cited issues stemming from gender, race
and sexuality as a factor negatively impacting adolescent mental
health, compared to just 25% of parents.
- Educators (63%) and parents (54%) agree that more affordable
mental health care is the most beneficial resource for adolescent
mental health.
"The mental health of America's youth continues to suffer, and
our survey reveals the opportunity to create an ecosystem around
our children to ensure they get the mental health resources they
need," said Cara McNulty, President,
Behavioral Health and Mental Well-being, CVS Health. "Parents and
educators create a critical, complementary team that supports
adolescents through the impacts of academic and family pressures,
self-esteem concerns, COVID-19 and more. By helping adolescents, we
can prevent mental health issues and the risk of suicide from
arising or becoming worse and set healthy well-being habits in this
generation for years to come."
From Conversations to Impactful
Change
In recognition of Suicide Prevention Month in September, CVS
Health continues to prioritize intervention, resources and support
to manage suicidal thoughts and prevent suicide attempts. Learn
more about CVS Health's efforts to reduce suicide and view our
awareness guide for parents and caregivers to improve
adolescent mental health.
Methodology
This poll was conducted between August 12
- 23, 2022 among a sample of 500 parents and 340 teachers
and educators of adolescents ages 13-17. The interviews were
conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a
target sample of adults based on gender, educational attainment,
age, race and region. Results for the parents' audience have a
margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points; results for
the teachers' audience have a margin of error of plus or minus 5
percentage points.
About CVS Health
CVS Health® is the leading health solutions company, delivering
care like no one else can. We reach more people and improve the
health of communities across America through our local presence,
digital channels and over 300,000 dedicated colleagues – including
more than 40,000 physicians, pharmacists, nurses and nurse
practitioners. Wherever and whenever people need us, we help them
with their health – whether that's managing chronic diseases,
staying compliant with their medications or accessing affordable
health and wellness services in the most convenient ways. We help
people navigate the health care system – and their personal health
care – by improving access, lowering costs and being a trusted
partner for every meaningful moment of health. And we do it all
with heart, each and every day. Follow @CVSHealth on social
media.
Media Contact
Alex
Kepnes
kepnesa@aetna.com
Doug Feingold
feingoldd@cvshealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health