Adolescent Public Mental Health: New Book Provides a Systems Approach to Rising Youth Mental Health Crisis

Adolescent Public Mental Health presents a multi-sector collaborative model for addressing the global youth mental health crisis.

HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, January 22, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Springer Nature, a leading global publisher for academic and research-focused writing, recently announced the release of 'Adolescent Public Mental Health: Why Systems Need Changing and How a Public Mental Health Approach Can Work.' This volume is based on a seven-year, innovative project at the BridgeUp Center, formerly located at The Menninger Clinic, one of the nation’s premier mental healthcare systems. The book’s official launch was held January 17, 2025 at The Menninger Clinic.

According to the CDC, the percentage of high school students experiencing symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors has increased significantly in the past decade. In its most recent studies, the CDC reports that 20% of teens have seriously considered suicide, with rates among girls being markedly higher at 27%.

Adolescent Public Mental Health presents a multi-sector collaborative model for addressing the global youth mental health crisis. The text and cited research show that an adolescent public health prevention and mental health approach implemented in schools can positively impact students, families, educators, and the community.

The book is co-edited by Patricia Gail Bray, PhD, a public health executive and academic researcher with over 25 years of experience in the field. Bray has served at organizations including The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston’s School of Public Health, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System, The Menninger Clinic, and Westlake Health Consulting.

Co-editor Arthur Maerlender, PhD, is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, researcher, and professor, with over 25 years of experience across organizations including Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and Saint Anselm College.

Bray and Maerlender intend for the book to serve as a foundation for beginning a national conversation about changing the adolescent mental health system. The model adopted in this volume includes providing programs in schools regarding mental health literacy education and prevention. This also includes developing protocols that identify and treat mental health issues earlier rather than later. Additionally, intentional methods to address mental health inequities are a part of this new adolescent public mental health model.

According to Dr. Bray, “A collaborative, preventive, and equitable approach to reversing the decline in adolescent mental health between 2016 and 2022 impacted over 63,000 vulnerable students in the Houston area. For example, Jojo, who struggled with self-harm, benefited from the BridgeUp program in its first year. Five years later, she graduated high school with honors and is now pursuing a degree in psychology. Perhaps the most profound impact was providing mental health support to Jojo and 6,200 other students who would otherwise have been unable to access treatment due to significant barriers.”

Dr. Maerlender notes that "adolescence is a formative developmental stage that requires specialized attention and understanding. Neurobiological research indicates that during this period, social, emotional, and cognitive experiences influence the structure and function of brain networks associated with behavior. The adolescent public mental health model applies this knowledge to develop strategies aimed at improving adolescent mental health."

Adolescent Public Mental Health is available for purchase via Springer Nature Link: https://link.springer.com/

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ABOUT THE MENNINGER CLINIC. For 33 years, The Menninger Clinic has been named a national Best Hospital in Psychiatry by U.S. News & World Report in its annual survey of psychiatrists nationwide. Menninger’s mental health care system has become known for its expert team-based diagnostic assessments and treatment for 100 years. Innovative, personalized treatment approaches at Menninger continue to increase value for Texans and people nationwide to access the care that best meets their needs. Menninger is a private teaching hospital of Baylor College of Medicine’s Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and is a member institution in the Texas Medical Center.

Hannah Savage
Carbonara Group
info@carbonaragroup.com