Psychology Today: Kathleen Mackenzie (MSW’92) Highlights Sleep in Solving the Youth Mental Health Crisis
One contributing factor to the ever increasing youth mental health crisis could be high levels of sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation, or sleep for less than 9 hours, can lead to higher rates of suicide and suicide ideation. In her op-ed for Psychology Today, BUSSW alum Kathleen Mackenzie (MSW’92) explains why sleep is an essential first step toward restoring youth mental health.
Excerpt from “Could Sleep Help End the Youth Mental Health Crisis?” by Kathleen Mackenzie, originally posted in Psychology Today:
With so many kids so firmly attached to devices, it may take an intervention just shy of major surgery to separate them—but in my view, it is the necessary first step to ending the crisis. As is true with any recommendation, it is important for parents to talk to their children first and discuss your concerns prior to making changes.
Once we get youth the sleep they need, a robust collective effort will still be needed to fully restore youth mental health. Systemic changes that respect the developmental needs of our youth and educational programming to support proper sleep hygiene should be part of that sustained effort.”