CONVERSATION. THE U.S. SURGEON GENERAL MET WITH PITTSBURGHERS TO HEAR FIRST HAND ABOUT THINGS HAPPENING IN OUR AREA TO IMPROVE OUR MENTAL HEALTH. DR. VIVEK MURTHY TOLD THE GROUP AT UPMC THE MENTAL STRUGGLES ARE HAVING DEVASTATING EFFECTS IN YOUNG PEOPLE AND IS THE DEFINING HEALTH ISSUE OF OUR TIME. SO MANY OF OUR KIDS ARE STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW WITH ANXIETY, WITH DEPRESSION, WITH LONELINESS. AND WE’RE SEEING RATES OF SUICIDE INCREASE IN THE DECADE PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC. THERE WAS A 57% INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE AND THE SUICIDE RATE IN AMERICA. AND WE’RE NOW SEEING THAT NEARLY HALF OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE SAYING THAT THEY FEEL PERSISTENTLY SAD OR HOPELESS. I TALKED ONE ON ONE WITH DR. MURTHY ABOUT THE GOOD AND THE BAD HAPPENING HERE, INCLUDING THE RECENT HOAX CALL THAT WENT OUT TO SEVERAL SCHOOLS TELLING POLICE STUDENTS HAD BEEN SHOT, THOUGH THE CALLS WERE FAKE. THE FEAR WAS REAL FOR STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS. THIS ALSO IS A DIFFERENT FORM OF TRAUMA THAT CAN IMPACT CHILDREN AND ADULTS FOR YEARS. YOU KNOW, SO MANY CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT BEING AFRAID OF GOING TO SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY’RE WORRIED THAT THAT MIGHT BE THE DAY THAT AN ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION ARISES. SO MANY PARENTS THAT WE TALK TO AROUND THE COUNTRY ALSO ARE WORRIED ABOUT SENDING THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. HE ALSO DISCUSSED THE DANGERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND SAYS WHILE PARENTS DO NEED TO GET MORE INVOLVED IN WHAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE DOING ONLINE, THERE ALSO NEEDS TO BE BETTER DEFINED. REGULATIONS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES, INCLUDING INDEPEND DENT ANALYSIS OF DATA, ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. HE SAYS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING IS TO ASK FOR HELP BECAUSE RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE. IN PITTSBURGH, MICHELLE WRIGHT PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS 4 FOUR AND MICHELLE WILL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH THIS SUNDAY MORNING ON WTAE. LISTEN, THAT’S AT 1130. WE’LL HEAR MORE FROM THE SURGEON GENERAL AND OTHER EXPERTS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO