The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts (PHIWM) has released a new report, Mental Health Inequities Among Springfield Eighth Grade Students: Findings from the 2019 Youth Health Survey.
In 2018, we released a data brief called Mental Health Inequities among Springfield Teens. This data brief highlighted the high rates of mental health risk factors and outcomes experienced by Springfield teens as a whole and illuminated mental health inequities affecting students who are female; identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender (LGBT); or are students of color. These inequities reflected similar concerning trends seen across the country and identified in the literature.
The brief was a call to action, and the Springfield Public Schools and community partners have taken numerous actions to support student mental health and reduce health inequities.
This new report is an update to our 2017 report. Although many actions have been taken to address youth mental health, inequities continue to exist.
