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For the first time, two US states will require schools to provide mental health education to combat the depression and psychological barriers faced by young Americans.
New York and Virginia adopt their respective laws on mental health education on Sunday. State statutes differ in detail, as reported by CNN. In Virginia, the basic premise is that physical education or health education programs for grade 9 and grade 10 students include a mental health component. In New York, the elementary, middle and high school curriculum will include mental health.
The New York law does not approve a specific curriculum on the issue; Virginia's willingness requires the State Education Council to update its "Standards of Learning" to spell out what needs to be taught.
While these moves are not specifically responses to recent suicides, including that of celebrity chef and cultural journalist Anthony Bourdain, they come in the wake of public health trends reported by groups such as the Centers for Disease Control (CBS). CDC) and others. For example, the proportion of US teenagers considering or attempting suicide nearly tripled between 2008 and 2015, according to an analysis of hospital data published in the journal Pediatrics in May. Suicide has become the second leading cause of death for young Americans in 2016.
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