Dayton Children’s looks to bring awareness to children’s mental health with new initiative

DAYTON — May is Mental Health Awareness Month and in honor of that, Dayton Children’s Hospital is launching a new initiative to educate the community and break the stigma around children’s mental health.

The nation-wide “On Our Sleeves” movement aims to provide communities with free resources to educate families and advocates about child mental health.

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The name comes from the idea that children do not always wear their thoughts and feelings on their sleeves.

In a release, Dayton Children’s shared the statistic that 1 in 5 children are living with a significant mental health concern. Additionally, half of all lifetime mental health concerns start by age 14.

“The numbers surrounding children’s mental health are staggering. Our community has gone through so much these past few years and our kids and families need these resources more than ever,” Nina Rains, certified prevention specialist said.

Cox Media Group