Montgomery County to Offer Various Programs and Events for Teens and Their Parents During ‘Care Be Aware’ Teen Mental Health Week April 6-13

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Montgomery County’s “Care Be Aware” Teen Mental Health Week from Saturday, April 6, to Saturday, April 13, will address critical mental health needs of teenagers in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative will showcase programs and events offered by Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL), Montgomery County Recreation and the Department of Health and Human Services.

“For far too long, there was a stigma about talking publicly about mental health,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “I am pleased that those times have passed, and we are proactively encouraging our youth and their families to gather and learn about the resources we offer to help. Through the ‘Care Be Aware’ Teen Mental Health Week, we collaborate across multiple departments to address and engage young adults about their mental health. Teenagers are currently going through difficult times, and I appreciate the Montgomery County Public Libraries for coordinating this important event.”

According to study findings using data from the 2019 Global Burden Disease Study published in a recent issue of JAMA Psychiatry, “there was a high prevalence of mental disorders affecting children and youths, indicating that more than 1 of 10 (or 293 million) individuals aged 5 to 24 years globally live with a diagnosable mental disorder.”