What are the costs to these students and our community if they are denied access to an educational model designed to meet their needs?
An Alarming Trend
Nationally, the mental health of children and young adults has been on the decline over the last decade. The most common mental illnesses for young people are depression and anxiety. The rate of adolescents who reported experiencing symptoms of a major depressive disorder increased by 52% between 2005 and 2017. Now, over two million youth have a major depressive disorder with severe impairment.
In Oregon
Oregon has one of the highest rates in the nation for mental illness and ranks 47th overall in mental wellness for youth. In the past year, Oregon ranked highest in the nation for youth experiencing a major depressive episode. As reported in the Oregonian last fall, Oregon has a higher rate of suicide for young people than the national average, and the rates for both have been on the rise over the last decade, according to the CDC.
Untreated mental illness costs the country up to $300 billion every year due to losses in productivity.
56% of federal inmates, 67% of inmates in state prisons, and 69% of inmates in local jails did not complete high school.
59% of prison inmates who dropped out of high school have a speech disability and 69% have an identified learning disability.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among children ages 10-17.