Lee County health leaders discuss importance of childhood mental health

Lee County health experts are keeping kids’ mental health at the top of their minds in Southwest Florida in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Leaders from Lee Health and Golisano Children’s Hospital gave an update on the mental health crisis in our community on Monday.

Talking to kids about mental health can be hard, but health leaders say it is the most important thing a parent can do.

There are frightening things happening in the world that kids have been exposed to including gun violence, the conflict in Ukraine, inflation struggles, and COVID-19.

Doctors recommend talking to kids about what is happening in the world, and how it might or might not affect them.

Alyssa Bostwick, the chief nursing and operations executive at Golisano Children’s Hospital, said she sees children come into her emergency room every day. A few months ago, she watched a five-year-old walk in with the intent to harm themself.

“It caused our team to pause because we asked ourselves how a child as young as five could possibly be having those thoughts and those feelings,” said Bostwick.

The annual numbers are also a reason to pause. Annually, Golisano Children’s Hospital anticipates nearly 1,300 children will walk in under the Baker Act, a Florida law that enables children or anyone having a mental health crisis to receive the help they need in a hospital.

“We have seen a 221% increase in children coming into our hospital under the Baker Act from 2019 to 2021,” said Bostwick. “While those numbers are daunting and sobering, each one of those numbers is a child in need.”

Health experts are pleading for help. Two years into the pandemic, the numbers have only increased.

Dr. Larry Antonucci, the CEO and president of Lee Health, said that in itself is alarming. “These are children that are a threat to themselves or to their family. And it’s very, very, very significant,” said Dr. Antonucci.

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