Recognizing October 10th as World Mental Health Day and National Depression Screening Day in Philadelphia.

Recognizing October 10th as World Mental Health Day and National Depression Screening Day in Philadelphia. WHEREAS, Mental health is a critical public health issue in Philadelphia that is stigmatized and is influenced by various negative, poverty-related socioeconomic outcomes; and WHEREAS, According to the most recent Health of the City report released by the Department of Public Health, 46% of adults in Philadelphia reported experiencing poor mental health at least once in the past month. In the School District’s 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, between 37% to 44% of high school students in Philadelphia felt sad or hopeless for at least two consecutive weeks, which is a significant indicator of depressive symptoms. Within the same survey, 23% of Hispanic/Latino students reported attempting suicide, while 21% of multiracial students and 14% of Black students reported having made recent attempts on their own lives as well; and WHEREAS, As of last year, Pennsylvania saw a substantial rise in the number of calls, texts, and chats to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. According to Axios, there were over 14,000 contacts made between April and May 2023 alone. 21% of those contacts were redirected to out-of-state centers due to local capacity issues; and WHEREAS, Community partners like the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and its 24/7 Behavioral Health and Crisis Center, Child Guidance Resource Centers (CGRC), the Philadelphia Mental Health Center (PMHC), and other organizati…