Silent Struggle: ABC11's town hall aimed at combating youth mental health crisis

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- More and more teens report struggling with depression, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts.

In an effort to shed light on the problem, ABC11 partnered with UnitedHealthcare to host The Silent Struggle: Youth Mental Health on Thursday evening.

SEE ALSO | 'Pivotal moment for action.' Mental health crisis among teens mounts as stakeholders ask for help

As guns show up in schools weekly and emergency rooms fill up with teens experiencing mental health crises stakeholders urge more needs to be done.

Steve Daniels moderated a discussion with the following experts:

• Chad Stage M.A., Associate Director, Behavioral Health for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of NC
• Teri Putnam, NC Project AWARE/ACTIVATE Co-Director
• Dr. Karen Barbee, Owner and Clinical Director of Renaissance Wellness Services, LLC
• Anne Sena, Technology Professional

The focus of the discussion was youth mental health and solutions and resources available for families.

RELATED | State agencies work to expand mental health resources for students as disturbing trends rise

You can replay the full town hall in the media player above.

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