MidPoint: The Kids are NOT All Right! The Crisis in Teen Mental Health

Psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Tanner, of the Emotional Wellness program of the Hillsborough Co. Public School System and psychotherapist Dr. Wendy Rice joined us on MidPoint to discuss the crisis in teen mental health one day after an 18-year-old boy shot his grandmother,2 teachers, and 18 4th graders at an elementary school in Uvalde, Tx. Research has shown that school shootings by teens are typically motivated by a mix of suicidal impulses, despair, and anger PLUS access to guns, and sometimes these factors are enhanced by online influences. If we can’t restrict access to guns then at least we may be able to have a better understanding of what to look for in our teens who may be in crisis and a better grasp of how to approach and assist them.