Youth mental health at core of A New Norm

Are you concerned your child might be struggling with anxiety or depression?
It might be important to know that you are not alone.
We told you in September of last year about A New Norm, a childrens book penned by Sioux Falls-based author Tom Roberts, done in partnership with Avera Health and Avera Behavioral Health.
The story is about a boy named Norm, whose norm was living with a cloud over his head, and nothing he tried could make it go away. Norm goes through a time of crisis and through that journey comes to realize there is hope.
Roberts said he wrote the book so that children struggling with their mental health might better have a chance to talk openly about it. In the book he also offers information about where families might turn for help.
Roberts had planned an in-person reading and community conversation at the Crystal last fall, the event unfortunately had to be postponed.
It is now rescheduled for January 24th at 6:30 p.m.
A New Norm at the Crystal is billed as a light-hearted presentation on overcoming the blues for the whole family. It is free and open to the public.
The U.S. Surgeon General this past year offered that one in three high school students reports persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, calling it an alarming increase in the prevalence of certain mental health challenges.
From 2009 to 2019, the proportion of high school students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness increased by 40%, Viviek Murthy stated in his report.
Technology and social media play a critical role, he added.
We know that mental health is shaped by many factors, from our genes and brain chemistry to our relationships with family and friends, neighborhood conditions, and larger social forces and policies. We also know that, too often, young people are bombarded with messages through the media and popular culture that erode their sense of self-worthtelling them they are not good looking enough, popular enough, smart enough, or rich enough. That comes as progress on legitimate, and distressing, issues like climate change, income inequality, racial injustice, the opioid epidemic, and gun violence feels too slow.
Local health care advocate and former Chief Medical Officer for Avera Health, Dr. Tad Jacobs, is helping foster the local program and conversation.
We know its a national problem. Part of what this is about is helping families, young people, but also parents, understand depression in children and how you can recognize those signs and get help early, he said.
The goal would be to have children involved in that conversation so if theyre feeling blue and they have that cloud following over their head all the time that they arent afraid to bring that up with their parents.
Included in the book are resources and information on mental illness, including contact information for Avera Behavioral Health (800-691-4336) and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255).
More information about A NEW NORM can be found at www.avera.org/new-norm.