INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An urgent need exists to address the mental health crisis among Hoosier youth.

A recent report by Mental Health America of Indiana shows that 66.4% of Hoosier youth with major depressive episodes from 2021 to 2022 did not receive essential care. That statistic placed Indiana as the 42nd-best state in mental health support, signaling a significant service deficit.

Indiana state Sen. J.D. Ford, a Democrat from Indianapolis, hosted a Wednesday roundtable at the Statehouse on the state of mental health among Hoosier youths. Ford says he plans to introduce budget legislation on mental health help for youths during the 2025 General Assembly.

Taylor Johnson, policy and data advocacy manager at the nonprofit Indiana Youth Institute, was one of many people interested in mental health who attended the event.

Johnson said, “Suppose we zeroed in just on depression, which is feeling sad or hopeless every day for at least two or more weeks. In that case, we see that 47% of students in Indiana indicated that they had experienced depression within the past 12 months before the survey administration; 47%, that is nearly half.”

Indiana kids have few options for help.

According to the American Psychological Association, Indiana averages one school psychologist for every 2,600 students. The recommended ratio is 1 for every 500 students.

Suicide ranked as the second-leading cause of death among kids from ages 10-14 in Indiana, and the third-leading cause of death for ages 15-19.

Johnson said, “25.2% of students seriously considered suicide in 2023. 23.6% made a plan on how they would attempt to take their own life. In 2022, there were 143 youth aged 10-24 who committed suicide here in the state.”

Students are grappling with myriad stressors, from academic pressures to the impact of social media However, educators say that technology and social media only scratch the surface of a much more significant mental health crisis.

Zarah Hileman, guidance counselor at Milan High School in Ripley County, said, “Last year, one of our eighth grade teachers conducted an informal experiment to see how many notifications his eighth grade students got in a single class period. The result was staggering. Of the 136 students, they received nearly 800 notifications, with 500 coming from Snapchat alone. Those notifications don’t stop when they go home. They continue late into the night, disrupting sleep and contributing to a cycle of exhaustion that affects their learning ability.”

Students involved with organizations have advocated for greater awareness of mental health issues. They say collaborative efforts are necessary to address the well-being of Hoosier youths.

Cole Ramsey, senior student from Pioneer Junior-Senior High School in Cass County, said, “Children of all ages, races, identities, and socioeconomic statuses are affected. Democrat or Republican, it’s our legislators’ job to protect the people’s rights, and everyone has a right to life.”

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