Dr. Tami Benton, Psychiatrist-in-Chief, Testifies In Front of US Senate Regarding National Mental Health Crisis
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Dr. Benton discusses the growing crisis and steps we can take to address barriers to access.
Dr. Tami Benton, Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) testified in front of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee to discuss the mental health pandemic affecting our nation’s youth with a specific focus on barriers to mental health care. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already dire situation in the United States. It’s estimated that 1 in 6 U.S. children between the ages of 2 and 8 have a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder, and mental health visits for children ages 5 through 18 soared in 2020. And the situation is worse for children of color, who have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If we don’t address the challenges we were experiencing before the pandemic, it will only continue to get worse,” Dr. Benton said. Dr. Benton discusses the steps we need to take in order to address this growing issue.
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