"So many of our young people are 3struggling."

A recent CDC survey of youth collected in 2021 finds increasing mental health challenges, experiences of 4violence, and 5suicidal thoughts and behaviors among all teens, especially girls and members of the LGBTQ+ community. 6Psychologist Alfiee Breland-Noble says one of the most important things parents can do is to show children ways of dealing with mental health issues by facing their own.

"¡¦so if we don¡¯t model it, we don¡¯t give our young people an opportunity to see what it looks like and we don¡¯t 7demonstrate to them that we take mental health seriously."

Noble says it¡¯s critical you talk your children about mental health. She says middle school is an important time to have these conversations. If you¡¯re not sure where to start, check out sounditouttogether.org. There are free tips, 8conversation starters and tools to help.

"One key piece of that is we have to be willing as parents and caregivers to listen so you ask the question and then I tell folks you have to be quiet and listen to whatever it is that our young people need to tell us."