Deep Breaths for Youth Mental Health

Health Care Access

San Gabriel Valley

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative

Children face an unprecedented mental health crisis that has intensified since the COVID-19 pandemic. More children are reporting depression and anxiety than ever before, and the rate of teen suicide is rising. The U.S. Surgeon General and the AMA have issued emergency warnings about the need to act. Barriers to mental health care for children and youths include a finite number of trained child therapists, inadequate health insurance coverage for families with children, the inability of uninsured families to pay the cost of treatment, long wait lists for therapy, and stigma associated with mental illness that prevents some from seeking help. Research shows that child mindfulness therapy is effective for addressing depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems. By guiding children to practice mindfulness and strategies such as controlled breathing, they are better equipped to self-regulate, improving school readiness, socio-emotional competence, and improved family relationships.

To address unmet needs for mental health care in LA County, our innovative approach builds upon our mindfulness-based preventive care program that we have delivered in Pasadena schools for 6 years. We will partner with public, parochial and charter schools, youth-serving agencies, and Anchor Children and Family Counseling to deliver mindfulness-based group and individual therapy in a private practice setting for up to 300 school-aged youths. We will fund 300 hours of direct clinical services, including up to 12, 50-minute individual therapy sessions for up to 25 clients; and up to 50, 6-session therapy groups of 8 clients each. The allocation of hours depends on the assessed needs of the client. Young & Healthy will conduct outreach and gather referrals from multiple sources, complete eligibility intakes, and make warm referrals to Anchor. This funding offers a rare opportunity to expand our services to youths in parochial and charter schools, many of whom suffer the same barriers to mental health care as their public-school counterparts. Unlike many school - clinician partnerships, Medi-Cal enrollment will not be required. Mindfulness-based therapy is shown to be effective with our target population because it can enhance opportunities for connection and buy-in from students and decrease mental health stigma. Our replicable approach can be a gateway to further care for youths and/or their families who need further care and initially express reluctance to attend "therapy."

It is time to erase the stigma associated with mental health care and help county youths overcome barriers to treatment! For participants experiencing mindfulness therapy success, we anticipate measurable improvements in their overall wellness, contributing to their ability to engage in activities and thrive in various settings. In the classroom, stronger engagement will lead to reduced behavioral concerns and more positive learning environments. Our vision includes mitigating the stigma of mental health care, opening doors to on-going therapy, and creating a ripple effect of acceptance impacting peers and their communities. For youths reluctant to try traditional talk therapy, mindfulness practice can break down barriers to therapeutic intervention and create a pathway to further therapy if needed. This approach is easily replicable and demonstrably effective. Its successful promotion can encourage other communities to adopt it to fill alarming gaps in youth mental health care.

This early-stage project applies the principles of a current classroom-based mindfulness prevention program to individual and small-group therapeutic interventions. We will define success by participants' ability to use mindfulness to self-regulate feelings and behaviors that are barriers to their wellness; improvements in participants' engagement in learning and activities; and reduction in the stigma of seeking mental health care. We will conduct pre- and post- surveys of youths and parents to determine specific health impacts. We expect to show improvement in depressive symptoms, attention, and anxiety. These instruments will also measure and show youths' improved engagement in school, family, and community. We will also gauge the reduction in the stigma of seeking counseling and mental health care, by demonstrating through surveys and informal qualitative assessment increased comfort with therapeutic interventions and willingness to continue therapy beyond initial sessions.