Thirty-percent of American teen-agers have a significant mood disorder, and 10-percent have contemplated suicide. In Syracuse in the past six years, Upstate University Hospital has seen a 400-percent increase in adolescents coming to the Emergency Department for treatment of serious mental health concerns. In this edition of Built to Serve, Host Major Charles Roberts talks with child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Chris Lucas, about the critical work being done locally by the Upstate Foundation to help satisfy the need for more mental health services to deal with this rapid increase in demand. Throughout the month of September, WCNY and public media across New York State are shining a spotlight on the issue of teen mental health and suicide prevention.
