Mental Health Awareness Month is a reminder of something many families already know: children and adolescents are facing growing mental health challenges.
A recent study highlighted by Becker’s Hospital Review found that anxiety-related pediatric visits in primary care increased by 300% between 2014 and 2023. Researchers also noted a significant rise in pediatric visits involving mental health diagnoses overall, reinforcing the growing need for behavioral health support for children and teens.
At Friendship House, we see these challenges every day across Northeastern Pennsylvania. Children today are navigating stressors including social media pressures, academic stress, bullying, family instability, trauma, and the lingering emotional effects of the pandemic. Anxiety in children may appear as irritability, school avoidance, behavioral changes, sleep issues, or withdrawal from activities they once enjoyed.
The increase in need is one reason Friendship House continues expanding access to care through outpatient services, school-based behavioral health programs, autism services, family-based services, and community-based supports. Our goal is to meet children and families where they are — at home, in schools, and throughout the community.
Early intervention is critical. Many primary care providers are now serving as a frontline entry point for pediatric behavioral health concerns because families often struggle to access specialty mental health services quickly. Friendship House helps connect children and families to behavioral health services, counseling, school-based supports, and other community resources designed to provide care before challenges escalate into crisis situations.
Mental Health Awareness Month is also an opportunity to reduce stigma. Seeking support for anxiety, depression, trauma, or emotional struggles should be viewed no differently than seeking treatment for any other health condition.
As behavioral health needs continue to rise nationally, Friendship House remains committed to providing compassionate, accessible, and community-based care for children and families throughout NEPA.