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9/4/2022: Mental Health Crisis Among U.S. Teens and a New Model of Architecture

2022-09-04

Wisconsin’s rate of adolescent self- harm and attempted suicide increased by nearly 200% since 2019. Sharyn Alfonsi speaks with families who’ve been impacted, and with doctors and therapists trying to make child mental health care more accessible. A project in Rwanda convinced a group of Harvard-trained architects to rethink their building methods, material, and labor sources, and the end-use of their buildings. Lesley Stahl reports.

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The season of giving and the season was stressing shop, I was on this holiday for decompressing, save on silk road, the top of the refreshing, your parents and in laws just the kid brother, both pasta, stressing the dry. Turkey gets way too distressing. The pressing sounds holiday deals are depressing, I'm fine! Even before the pandemic, american kids have been dealing with a crisis rising rates of suicide.
self harm, anxiety and depression. Your generation got hit with this in, what's supposed to be kind of a fun carefree time, what was lost? What did you guys lose during the pandemic, myself yourself, yeah This were saving I mean you. Can we americans spend ninety percent of our time inside buildings, where we found a group of young architects who have set out to create a new model of architecture, one that is both beautiful and healthy for the people who build and use them inspiration. They say they got in africa and have now brought home what you. We're doing in rwanda. You were also doing in haiti, malawi and poughkeepsie.
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a surgeon general has called it an urgent public health crisis, a devastating decline in the mental health of kids across the country. According to the cdc, the rates of suicide, self harm, anxiety and depression are up among adolescents. The trend that began before the pandemic tonight will take you to know walk. You was constant, a community trying to help its kids navigate a mental health crisis, as we first reported, I was content. Has the fifth ties: increase of adolescence self harm and attempted suicide in the country with raids nearly doubling since before the pandemic, and the emergency room that children's hospital in Milwaukee doctors like michelle get or seeing more kids desperate for mental health help we unfortunately a lot of kids who have attempted suicide. That is something that we see I'd say at least once a shit
once a shift of the answer Unfortunately, to pick it has worked in the eu, are for nine years. Is there any group? That's not being impacted, know we're saying at all kids, you know who come from very well off families, kids, don't kid who suburban kids were urban kids were rural, were seen in all this. your family's needing help for their kids has revealed a deficit of people and places to treat them across country the average wage time to get an appointment with a therapist is forty days in four children. It's often longer What does it say to you that the place they have to come with me john room that there's something with her system, the emergency room should not be the place to go and gets in acutely health care. When you are in a crisis, we are not now
home environment, but their desperate yeah? But we were there and we see everybody, but I wish there were more places that kids can go to get the help that they need. We deserve a couple questions reading answer alive, to manage the mental health crisis and heavy caseload. Doktor pick it in just an ipad with a series of questions that screen. The mental health of every child. Ten in older, comes to the e r for any reason, among them, genes, have you been having thoughts about killing yourself and have you thought your fan It would be better off if you were dead, harsh questions that can be the lifesavers to the kids who answer them. We have had forecast that I know of personally that came in for it We on related problem, so a broken arm or in iraq or whatever it was an x
were acutely suicidal to the point where we needed to transfer them to impatient facility right then and there so, where catching kids, who are in very much crisis like that but worlds for catching the cancer chess need help and dont know it. The haven't really talked about this. According the cdc huh tool admissions data shows the number of teenage girls who have been suicidal has increased. Fifty percent nation wide since twenty nineteen? I thought it was normal ass. A few men, as was one of them, are crying every night? Not knowing What's going on and I felt so alone Sophia your friend mina use were an eighth grade, looking forward a high school when Cobain turn their worlds upside down always been a super smart. I've always had really good grades and then, as soon as the pandemic hit, I failed a class when I was virtual,
I had no motivation to do anything. I would just sit in My room never leave, and it was like these signs of depression. My mental health got really bad, especially my eating disorder. I was based glee home alone all day, my herons, while they notice that I was in eating, it would refuse to He so then they ended up taken into the hospital Sophia had to stay in the hall spittle for two weeks before a bed opened up at a psychiatric facility. Your generation like got hit with us in, was supposed to be kind of a fun carefree time. What was lost. What did you guys lose during the pandemic myself yourself? I would definitely say there were pieces, and myself that I were definitely lost. I lost friends because is we, wouldn't see each other,
couldn't go to our first home coming. I couldn't an eighth grade. Graduation and others sound like that big a deal on a big deal when you're an eighth grade yeah, I feel like if the pandemic haddan. happened at all out of my leg, sadness and like mental problem This would not be as bad as they are It just made everything worse. I ween this moment we are. We are in crisis mode and it's scary. Tammy MC clure has worked the child therapists throughout wisconsin for the last twenty five years. I think there was a hope that you now we're factions, the kids are able to see their friends again and play sports that this would all go away. Has it now
no I've noticed that the weightless longer kids are struggling with more anxiety, more depression, so You were in a mental health crisis prior to the pandemic. Did the pandemic accelerated? I believe so it work. Out of the pandemic, but kids. still lost two years to you, of socialization two years of education to you. Of their world kind of being shaken up. So as we get cold, cut back to normal, I think kids are struggling even the pandemics over this crisis. isn't going to be over cdc d number show that even before the pandemic, the number of adolescence saying they felt persistently sad or hopeless, was at forty percent since two thousand nine. There are lots of theories on why
social media increase screen time and isolation, but the research isn't definitive. This pass Marge tammy mc clure was tapped by children's hospital to run an urgent care, walking clinic specifically open to treat kids mental health area, and we are here to get from seven days a week from three to nine. Thirty is one of the first clinics of it's kind in the country. Now, what's going to work for you and what's gonna work for you, so when they come to our clinic, we assess them and we provide them with. therapy session, so we give them some interventions. We give them like a play out and an action plan and are cater to each child situation actionable. These families and kids can do while they look for a doctor. Or facility to make room for doubt how, have the weightless bend to get help normally or put on you your schedule than appointment within a few months
and months yeah and then, if you want a child psychiatrist that you're looking at lake months, a year. How important is it to get them help when they need it immediately as day. Go on the symptoms. Get worse. If you have a depressed child, you know maybe start out where they were feeling depressed and then, as the day goes on their suicidal. It really, you really do need to get that help and that support right away. Eleven year old, Austin bringer desperately needed that support during the pandemic. He's a fifth grader at developed elementary school in Milwaukee. How holder and the it was night. still going to school, but then I kept hearing on the news in the car just like pandemic stay put. Quarantine fourteen days when they first said hey, you don't have to go to school. What was your reaction at that moment? Heaven,
But then I realized it's. The complete opposite began Like millions of school age, kids Austin was forced into remote learning for more than a year and disconnected from friends shut it MIKE The only way you can see people is through, like phone, or your family that you live with that isolation took a toll on Austin who was already struggling with news that his parents we're getting a divorce, and that's when I think everything just started to magnify. He knew he was always asking to see his friends. We couldn't- and I remember there is one moment that he was just on the floor. Lay kicking and the air just but couldn't described by? He was upset unable to vent with friends and without access to in person, therapy His mother melissa says his world began. Closing in on him fell like he was interactive.
Ass and just kind of withdrawing into himself and spending a lot of time by himself and I went took a man, and he said mama I'm having suicidal thoughts and he was held. He was nine and Like I was kind of lake, I I didn't know. to say I didn't know what to do Imagine myself going through all these things like jumping from a building and like taking a knife from my kitchen and ending my life. It was it was over fifty of that's just what in my mind, I don't really know whose, from all like anti socialist, I love it Will it also felt like we still worse? a lot of yelling and it felt like my parents. Didn't You need me any more. Just surely hard to think about that more desperate.
Lucy called austin pediatrician, who preferred her to outpatient therapists and impatient psychiatric programmes only to be too There were long waiting lists and no beds all this if Israel into my head and for them to say well, there's no beds right now and, unlike how am I going to keep him safe enough? to try and keep can save wisconsin. Trying to another approach, that's being adopted in other parts of the country. Seventeen pediatric clinics across southeastern wisconsin have incorporated full time therapists. inside their offices offering mental health screenings and treatment as part of routine care. Okay. So, let's start with our assessment
Doktor brilliant, never was the first pediatrician in Milwaukee to create a therapist office inside her office. You're saying where here together, we're in all work on this together, not weaken Hope you go see. Somebody else actually in still having a therapists in our clinic to really does have to be a team together, discuss that patient and found many other demands ideas off of each other, because we both know them so well- is so much better for patient care doktor, numerous clinic treatin underserved community, where families typically struggle to get mental help help Airports have treated more than five hundred kids here since the pandemic started. I think, as pediatricians in primary care providers like we can know gorgeous solely say you no matter else, providers you're the only one set of me taking care of our patients and rigorous and mental house like this, is now something that we need to be joint. You astern brings.
Pediatrician now has a therapist in her office to their family was fortunate to finally regular outpatient therapy for his depression. How do you feel now. Oh it's much. than before? Everything's going up in my life and knowing They got friends with everyone class on building better social life it's important. just know, there's others that, like the same thing, As it's not. easy thing to talk about other stuff Why did you agree to tell us how you and because the world needs the world needs to know mental health and stuff like that needs to be treated or bad stuff could happen if you're going through that by yourself trying contact someone. You know where your friend your family and talk about it.
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americans spend ninety percent of our time inside of buildings most of us give little thought to the role architecture plays in our lives and our health tonight. We bring you a story about a group of award winning young architects who have set out, took. a new model of architecture, not a particular style of building. But a way of thing about how to build, who should build using what and for whom they are non profit for based in Boston is called mass short for model. Of architecture serving society and they were spired early on by the work of doktor, Paul farmer who passed away unexpectedly just months After our story, first aired last fall, though trained at harvard Masses founders say they learn the most important lessons of architecture during Time they spent and of all places Rwanda
rwanda is a country. Many people know for one thing, the ninety ninety four genocide that killed more than eight hundred thousand p. Today, rwanda is at peace above swing, nation of thirteen million working hard to lift its pop nation out of poverty, sera construction projects all around the country, several of them being designed by mass started by americans. The head of its team in kigali. Today is rwandan architect, christian benny mamma. I heard when mass started, there was no word for art. act in your language, still nowhere for detecting have an expression wanger requiring got in your meaning expert in the creation of buildings,
amazing thing a bunny mama told us he dreamed of creating buildings even as a little boy, but with no school of our protector imposed genocide. Rwanda he had study in china in mandarin designed around Michael murphy. Masses executive director had a very different path to architecture. I studied literature that's gonna, get Therefore, in our faces, murphy's life took a sharp turn after college when his father diagnosed with cancer, given just a few weeks to live murphy rush. back to poughkeepsie new york to their old home. That is dated bent weekends. Restoring Can I do while I wait here and death watch, and so I start working on the house and after three weeks you still life six weeks we start work after a year and a half and fully restored the building, he was fully in remission and he said in a work on this house.
you saved, save my life had healed me. Ah, ah I slipped by have to be an architect when he came in wearing these silver cowboy boots, Alan ricks and murphy became fast friends as first students at harvard graduate school of design, but, as dove in both funds. Something wanting in the curriculum. We were learning about the heroism of architecture, the beautiful sculptures the names of the famous architects, but not some about how architecture could help people and communities during first semester. Murphy went to a talk by one of his idols doktor Paul farmer who founded the nonprofit partners in health, too wide medical care for the neediest populations around the world as it were hospitals were building clinics were building schools, and so I went up to him afterwards to ask who are the architecture
where they said. You know architects of never asked us how they could be of service to what we're doing so. We often have to do it ourselves Why weren't architects attracted to work? with you, I mean a lot of them care about the poor. They certainly do, but the way the incentive structures set up is hey, you give us money, will design something for you, so in murphy to volunteer on partners and health project in rwanda, the following summer of two thousand seven doc, farmer said bring it. I we gave him Very humble projects smiling has pretty good. He asked me if I would design a little laundry building alone. Rebuilding. Well, how did the laundry looked? It looked pretty good. It still looks good so good. He called Michael Murphy a few months later and asked if he could help. Does a brand new hospital for a remote district of three hundred. Fifty thousand that didn't even have a doctor, you're still a student still student. So I looked around my
ass mates, said this crazy call came in. Can anyone help me you said yes right away without has it been? Who who wouldn't what an opportunity? But when doktor farmers said their first design looked like an army, barracks murphy design did you take a year off and moved to the site called boot? Toro we're farmer gave him real challenges. He says fine masses work to this day, the hospital be beautiful. Building it should have. as many local people as possible, and have natural air flow to prevent the spread of diseases like tuberculosis, that off ran rampant in enclosed boards and waiting rooms. Let me say this image, murphy showed us the design they came up with to move from. air, naturally, through each ward, that simple as where air, most from a lower to hire area
beds would go in the middle, giving every patient a beautiful view. Beauty matters. The spaces around us that are designed with beauty say that we matter as individuals. If I were a doctor wouldn't I say I care about but I want a heart monitor. First, why make this a choice between a heart, monitor and beauty. Surely we can have both what they couldn't have heavy equipment like front and loaded that were too costly to get to the site? And so we could. We dig it by hand We dug the foundation by hand employ more people and shocker. We did it faster and Britain eleven it had at the front of the later. How many people actually worked on this project total over four thousand people worked on the permanent and that of trucking in materials? They do so to use volcanic stone that farmers
you're, consider a nuisance because they have to clear it from their fields. the stone everywhere, but normally it's just piled up and we thought that would be a really valuable material in in the? U s We use it in a different way. They designed hospital facade with it higher dozens of local masons and spot industry. This woman, who trained butare, is now a for woman with a team of masons she trains and they all of ours I spent doing this christian, benny, Mona back from shanghai, was impressed by the thought given to the process of and by giving so many people work improving the local economy. It is critical for us to have prospect for a better future and give pride in rwanda. That's very important to me because I make me proud as well:
He joined the team and help design housing for doctors at the hospital very quickly, We had a lot of work because there many other people doing this. They decided to be. A nonprofit architecture firm to work on project that otherwise couldn't afford. High price designs. They built a matter did he care center in malawi, a cholera hospital in haiti schools all the same principles of airflow beauty and creating jobs decade later they have a staff of over two hundred more than half of them. Rwandan history is even more beautiful. Close up. We visited butare hospital last summer. Its central courtyard felt part medical center part public gardens and its covered outdoor waiting, room and hallways in this time of covert felt preshent,
entire hospitals designed around that simple idea that airflow air movement are the basic premise. That we should designer buildings around and in particular our hospitals, so that patients, don't you mid air borne diseases to each other. For as to the south. We to see masses of largest project. Yet Steen, nine building campus for a brand new college of agriculture funded by american philanthropist howard buffet. This space is really we want to create a hub spectacular where mass is pushing its philosophy to the limit Alan rick showed us just about everything here from these listen walls, the wines you see or the layers to the furniture. The woven back rests of these chairs is being made locally under Chris benny manas leadership. Mass started. A furniture d
to collaborate with local artisans on creative designs, instead of ordering from a catalogue, it's one thing to go to buy in turkey and china and europe and take a chair, shall run, showroom put on that flight and bring it here. It's another thing to figure out a system that can create more opportune is for growth and, if you thinking masses model could never work in the. U S, Michael murphy, wasn't sure either until he. is challenged by a community leader back home. Isn't it at all in haiti. In rwanda, when you gonna come back your hometown and work with us and poughkeepsie. We need a lot of help, the cube sea like many once thriving industrial cities has seen factor is close. Its downtown choked off by highways, it storefront boarded up to top it off its creek flooded during hurricane irene we had just been in what am I
rural places in the world, and we had seen a hospital change. The economy Why can't we do that same thing here in poughkeepsie, some mass opened a small office on main street and got to work. Like swimming or converting the city's, all trolley barn into an art space and design? housing itself, in turn this all building into a food hall or going to save this building and converting this long abandoned factory into a new headquarters for the environmental groups scenic hudson. If you look up, you can see that this whole opening was once window. That was a window. It was all a window on my goodness he says old buildings like this were designed to lead in fresh air, but with invention of air conditioning big windows became a liability so wish them and see build our buildings? Air tight? This is a sort of devils bargain it has made all of our buildings, have really
limited airflow and hence, during covered we're all very vulnerable. We saw it, but the nursing homes and the prisons do you think that call we will change architecture for everyone. Everyone around the world is going through a shift in their understanding of buildings around us that they may make us sicker that they could make us healthier. They were better designed masses, new design will reopen the windows and like a cutting, the version of the hospital in rwanda, you a solar powered system to heat and cool air at each window, eliminating traditional air conditioning and heating entirely, and they have plan to transform that flooding creek that's become something a garbage dump some gutters. We get shopping, words. What is that an air conditioner,
mass landscape, architects, sierra bainbridge came here with ideas about and widening the creek to help with flooding, but also, if you are taking a holistic view, The problem than the solution also begins to be a holistic view. Mash came with designs to turn the blighted creek into beautiful park space that would run all through poughkeepsie. Its product has not solved for that one. We have to think about. How can we make design have the biggest possible impact? it's a lesson. Mass believes can apply in many american citys. They occur jack's now in cleveland, Birmingham and santa FE and their gospel of argo That's your serving society has reached inside that very tower whose teachings they once found lacking and twenty one murphy taught lessons he learned in rwanda back at harvard.
clear simplicity to it, this things we have to build its people, we have to hire this materials we have to use, and if you think about the whole thing is a design project, you can have a lot more back in june, mass was awarded the highest honour given by the american institute of architects, its twenty twenty two architecture: firm award. If you're, like me, My health and fitness are two things I am extremely passionate about, and my favorite source for accurate fitness and health permission is the mind palm podcast, the host funny entertaining and they're always there with the most up to date and applicable fitness and health information. If you're looking to lose fats, build muscle or improve your health search. Mind pump on your favorite podcast tap and give them a listen. That's mind: pump wherever podcast are found,
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This is to take out with major care this week, Joe Biden pollster john ends aloni, where you surprised, by the results of election day and the days thereafter, the president was looked at as you well know, a scan for being as bullish ass. He was before election day that you share that optimism. When were you in any way? The surprise Joe Biden was right. Now is wrong in most people, where it wasn't just posters and I'll, tell you A bunch of things happened. Then we haven't seen happened a long time for more. this week's conversation follow that take out with major garrett on apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.
Transcript generated on 2022-11-19.