THE TALK

It’s time to have the talk

When our children become teens, our role as parents remains as important as ever. We must prepare them to face a new set of challenges. Some of these will be familiar. Others won’t. We need to be ready to listen.

PURPOSE

Let’s be honest, we all may be struggling right now to maintain our mental health, so these discussions might be more crucial than ever. Mental health and mental illness are surrounded by stigma, which leads to great harm when debilitating symptoms are not treated. Through conversations, we can lower the stigma and increase the functioning of those who struggle and reduce the number of deaths caused by suicide.

In the United States, 1 in 5 teens live with a mental health condition and less than half are receiving the support that they need. Many youth report that they are scared, their concerns are often ignored, and parents tell them it will pass or that this is just part of being a teen. These reactions show that there is a gap in understanding the mental health challenges young people face.

MAKE THE PROMISE TO HAVE “THE TALK”

Funded by: OC Health Care Agency (HCA) through Mental Services Act.