The Tragic Crisis of Teen Mental Health: A Reckoning with the Systemic Failure
In a jaw-dropping revelation, the Centers for Disease Control has discovered that nearly a third of American teenage girls have entertained suicidal thoughts, while 13% have gone so far as to attempt to take their own lives. The statistics are nothing short of staggering, and the lack of a coherent response to this crisis is nothing short of scandalous.
But what’s behind this unprecedented surge in teenage mental illness? Some experts point to the overuse of smartphones and social media, which is little more than a symptom of our society’s profound disconnection and sense of isolation. Others blame the recent pandemic, which has left generations of young people with emotional scars.
And yet, despite the gravity of the situation, the mental health establishment appears paralyzed, unable or unwilling to come up with effective solutions to this mounting crisis. The shortage of trained mental health professionals is a major factor, but it’s by no means the only one.
Enter Jake Sussman, the former Headway co-founder who’s come up with a bold plan to address this shortage through online group therapy. His company, Marble, is a revolutionary new venture that’s poised to shake up the traditional mental health landscape.
Sussman’s vision is to create an army of therapists who will provide online group sessions to children in grades 5-12. By doing so, Marble hopes to not only fill a much-needed gap in the mental health landscape but also to offer a more personalized and effective form of therapy.
But this is not just about numbers; it’s about human lives. And it’s not just about the individual; it’s about the systemic failure that’s created this crisis in the first place.
