In Colorado, a growing number of young people are in a dire state of mental health crisis. Visits to emergency departments due to severe anxiety and depression have increased dramatically since the beginning of the pandemic, and health officials now estimate that as many as 50% of all youth are struggling with a mental health condition.
The sharp rise in these rates led Children’s Hospital Colorado to declare a state of emergency last year for pediatric mental health. We speak with the head of mental health at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Dr. Ron-Li Liaw, to discuss her role and the state of youth mental health in Colorado.
